Pediatric Weight Management

About Our Practice

Our dedicated team, led by board-certified pediatricians with expertise in childhood weight management, believe every child has the potential to achieve a healthy weight and lifelong wellness. The practice supports all patients in reaching this goal by using a personalized and compassionate family-based approach.We believe that involving the family in lifestyle changes is essential to the behavior change process for a child.

In addition to a meeting with a pediatric obesity specialist, you and your child will have a multidisciplinary team supporting your family in achieving realistic lifestyle changes to build new life-long habits.

Your child’s team will consist of a medical provider — a pediatrician or nurse practitioner, a dietitian and a behavior specialist — with expertise in childhood weight management. Children and teens meet with a member of their team monthly working on healthy lifestyle changes.

All patients also have access to our many free community-based nutrition and fitness programs to gain the knowledge and skills to achieve healthy habits, more energy and positive self-esteem.  

Services

• Comprehensive Medical Assessment
• Nutrition Counseling/Planning
• Free Cooking Classes
• Free Fitness Options — personal training for teens or referral to our award-winning
• ENERGIZE! Program for the family
• Behavior Management
• Weight Loss Medications

Learn more about our services and what to expect

Pediatric Obesity is a Growing Challenge

Being overweight is hard as an adult, but it can be especially difficult for a child or adolescent during a time of bodily changes and peer pressure. Aside from the challenges of self-esteem and body image, there are a number of serious health risks associated with childhood obesity — from type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure to high cholesterol, anxiety and depression.

There are a number of contributors to excess weight, including genetics and biology, the environment, medications and individual behaviors. Regardless of the cause, intervention and behavior change are key. Our comprehensive program takes an individualized approach to assessing and developing a treatment plan for each child’s needs.

Conditions We Support

• Early Onset Obesity (Under 6 years old)
• Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes
• Fatty Liver Disease
• High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
• High Cholesterol - Learn more about our Pediatric Lipid Program.
• Irregular Periods (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)
• Snoring and Sleep Apnea 
• Bone Diseases (Blount’s Disease and Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis)
• Prader Willi and Obesity-related Genetic Conditions
• Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (Pseudotumor Cerebri)
• Obesity Secondary to Medications (Steroids, Antipsychotics, Antiepileptics)
• Anxiety and Depression
• Binge Eating Disorder
• Poor Self-Esteem and Peer Bullying

Teenagers who are at high risk for health complications may also have more intensive weight management options, such as:

• Meal replacements
• Weight loss medications
• Bariatric surgery

WakeMed is proud to partner with the Poe Center and Marbles Kids Museum to create fun and healthy learning experiences for children and families. Check out our article in Families First Magazine.

Learn More about Our Programs in the News: 

• Read Dr. Huang's blog post related to cholesterol in kids
• Read Dr. Hill's blog post about healthy weight and body image in teen girls
• Watch a news story about adolescent bariatric surgery
• Listen to Dr. Huang talk about high cholesterol in children
• Read Dr. Hill's commentary in Alexis Harris' weight loss story

ABC 11 Reports on Our Adolescent Bariatric Surgery Program