About the Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight

The Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight serves as a translational engine for pediatric obesity prevention, assessment, management and treatment; and moves policy and research from theory into practice in American healthcare, communities, and homes.

Mission

The institute will empower pediatricians, families and children to:

• Better prevent, assess and treat obesity and its comobidities;
• Enhance partnerships with families to find and navigate individual pathways to healthy active living; and
• Catalyze stakeholders and communities to build and enhance capacity for healthy active living.

The Challenge

• In 2010, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.
• Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 yeras.
• Increased risk factors for comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
• $127 million annual hospital costs related to obesity and comorbidities such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, liver disease and sleep apnea.

The Reach of AAP

• Over 65 Chapters in the U.S. and Canada
• Over 60,000 pediatrician members of the AAP

Leveraging the  Power of the Pediatrician

Pediatricians see children and their families for 31 well-child visits during the first 21 years of life.

• 20 of these visits are during the critical first 5 years of a child's life, when there is ample opportunity to partner with families to establish healthy active living; no other professional has a longitudinal relationship with families over the course of 2 decades.

Addressing All Children

Pediatricians are uniquely trained to focus on prevention of obesity for all children.Pediatricians also help those 30% of children and adolescents that are already overweight or obese.

View the graphical version of our story.