(Press-News.org) Greaux Healthy—a public service initiative powered by Pennington Biomedical Research Center, in partnership with the State of Louisiana—is proud to announce the release of the Childhood Obesity Prevention, Evaluation and Treatment Toolkit, a comprehensive resource designed to equip healthcare providers with practical, evidence-based guidance for preventing, evaluating, and treating childhood obesity and its related comorbidities.
Developed in alignment with the 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) clinical practice guidelines, the toolkit synthesizes the latest scientific evidence and real-world strategies to support pediatric care in all potential healthcare settings across Louisiana. This free resource offers a quick reference for evaluating obesity, as well as actionable treatment approaches for children and adolescents dealing with overweight and obesity.
Dr. Amanda Staiano, Director of Pennington Biomedical’s Pediatric Obesity and Health Behavior Laboratory and a key contributor to the development of the toolkit, states, “The comprehensive nature of this toolkit provides pediatricians with a quick reference for evaluating childhood obesity and its comorbidities and approaches for treating children and adolescents with overweight and obesity, all grounded in scientific evidence.”
This practical toolkit addresses a critical need for streamlined resources in pediatric practice. Its user-friendly format allows healthcare providers to efficiently integrate up-to-date, scientifically validated protocols into their daily clinical routines, ensuring timely intervention and improved health outcomes for children.
Pennington Biomedical Medical Investigator Stewart T. Gordon, MD, FAAP emphasizes the importance of this resource in supporting Louisiana’s healthcare professionals, “The Greaux Healthy team looks forward to working with all Louisiana pediatric healthcare professionals—including pediatricians, family physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dieticians, behavioral health providers, nurses, and health educators—to improve access to prevention, evaluation, and treatment of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is a chronic disease for which Louisiana ranks third in the nation. This toolkit provides evidence and support to help Louisiana children, their families, and those caring for them to grow healthier!”
Key features of the toolkit include:
Rapid Evaluation Protocols: Simplified guidelines for assessing obesity and its associated comorbidities.
Step-by-Step Treatment Strategies: Clear, evidence-based recommendations for behavioral counseling, pharmacotherapy, and when necessary, referral for advanced care.
Family-Centered Tools: Resources designed to help facilitate lasting lifestyle changes in patients and their families.
Dr. John Kirwan, Executive Director of Pennington Biomedical, underscores the urgency of this initiative, stating, “Waiting or delaying treatment is not an option when it comes to childhood obesity. Our goal is to provide healthcare providers with the tools they need to make informed decisions and offer comprehensive, effective treatment to improve the health and future of our children.”
The Childhood Obesity Prevention, Evaluation and Treatment Toolkit is now available for download at www.greauxhealthy.org/greaux-healthy-provider-hub. Greaux Healthy invites all pediatric healthcare providers to access this essential resource and join in the mission to build healthier generations throughout Louisiana.
About Greaux Healthy
Greaux Healthy is a public service initiative powered by Pennington Biomedical Research Center, in partnership with the State of Louisiana, focused on preventing and treating childhood obesity in the state. Drawing from over 35 years of scientific research, Greaux Healthy creates evidence-based tools, resources, and programs that promote better health for children of all ages. Each component of the initiative serves as a guide to empower families, educators, healthcare providers, and communities with proven practices to prevent and treat childhood obesity. By fostering collaboration and providing practical solutions, Greaux Healthy is working to create a healthier future for Louisiana’s children. Learn more at www.greauxhealthy.org.
About the Pennington Biomedical Research Center
The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is at the forefront of medical discovery as it relates to understanding the triggers of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia. Pennington Biomedical has the vision to lead the world in promoting metabolic health and eliminating metabolic disease through scientific discoveries that create solutions from cells to society. The center conducts basic, clinical, and population research, and is a campus in the LSU System.
The research enterprise at Pennington Biomedical includes over 530 employees within a network of 44 clinics and research laboratories, and 13 highly specialized core service facilities. Its scientists and physician/scientists are supported by research trainees, lab technicians, nurses, dietitians, and other support personnel. Pennington Biomedical is a globally recognized state-of-the-art research institution in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For more information, see www.pbrc.edu.
END
New toolkit empowers healthcare providers with evidence-based strategies for childhood obesity prevention and treatment
2025-02-20
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
UT MD Anderson and Texas Children’s Hospital announce joint venture to end childhood cancer
2025-02-20
HOUSTON ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Texas Children’s Hospital have announced a transformational collaboration dedicated solely to pediatric cancer care. Approved by the UT System Board of Regents and the Texas Children’s Board of Trustees, this new, first-of-its-kind joint venture will unite the nation’s largest comprehensive pediatric system and a top pediatric cancer program with the nation’s leading comprehensive cancer center. The collaboration has a single ...
Texas Children’s Hospital and UT MD Anderson announce joint venture to end childhood cancer
2025-02-20
HOUSTON, TX (February 19, 2025) – Texas Children’s Hospital and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have announced a transformational collaboration dedicated solely to pediatric cancer care. Approved by the Texas Children’s Board of Trustees and the UT System Board of Regents, this new, first-of-its-kind joint venture will unite the nation’s largest comprehensive pediatric system and a top pediatric cancer program with the nation’s leading comprehensive cancer center. The collaboration has a single mission: to end childhood cancer.
“The scope and scale of our combined effort will build the world’s preeminent pediatric cancer ...
New medication sinus thrombosis just as safe but more patient-friendly
2025-02-20
Patients affected by sinus thrombosis are treated with blood thinners. Traditionally, these patients are prescribed vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). In order to give the correct dosage, regular check-ups at the thrombosis service are necessary. A global study, coordinated by Amsterdam UMC, now shows that new medication, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), are equally safe and effective. The study was published today in The Lancet Neurology.
A big advantage is that this medication is more user-friendly because regular thrombosis monitoring is no longer ...
About 740,000 global deaths from suicide occur annually--that's one death every 43 seconds
2025-02-20
Every minute, four males and six females need inpatient treatment due to suicide attempts around the world.
Males die from suicide at twice the rate of females, and their attempts result in death three times more often than female attempts.
Globally, 10% of suicides by males and 3% by females were with guns. In the U.S., 55% by males and 31% by females were with guns.
Between 1990 and 2021, the global age-standardized death rate for suicide declined by almost 40%, indicating that intervention and prevention are ...
Experts strongly recommend against spine injections for chronic back pain
2025-02-20
Spine injections should not be given to adults with chronic back pain because they provide little or no pain relief compared with sham injections, say a panel of international experts in The BMJ today.
Their strong recommendations apply to procedures such as epidural steroid injections and nerve blocks for people living with chronic back pain (lasting at least 3 months) that is not associated with cancer, infection or inflammatory arthritis.
Their advice is based on the latest evidence and is part of The BMJ’s ‘Rapid ...
Racism in medicine - are things getting better?
2025-02-20
Five years on since The BMJ’s special issue on racism in medicine, and a global pandemic, the landscape is very different, but has racism in the NHS and UK medicine got better or worse?
In 2020, a BMJ investigation found that UK medical schools were failing to deal with complaints of racism. Another round of requests to the UK’s 46 medical schools has now found that eight in 10 (34 of 41 that responded) are collecting data on complaints about racism, up from half in 2020. And the number ...
Forcing UK creatives to ‘opt out’ of AI training risks stifling new talent
2025-02-20
The UK government should resist allowing AI companies to scrape all copyrighted works unless the holder has actively “opted out”, as it puts an unfair burden on up-and-coming creative talents who lack the skills and resources to meet legal requirements.
This is according to a new report from University of Cambridge experts in economics, policy and machine learning, who also argue the UK government should clearly state that only a human author can hold copyright – even when AI has been heavily involved.
A collaboration between three Cambridge initiatives – ...
Almost 90% of people would agree to genetic testing to tailor medication use, survey finds
2025-02-20
New research shows almost 90% of people in England would agree to genetic testing to get the most effective medication and reduce the risk of side effects
85% thought that the NHS should offer pharmacogenomic testing to people with multiple health conditions
58% of people thought that the NHS should offer this testing to everyone
91% wanted access to their own pharmacogenomic data, with many wanting this via the NHS app
Pharmacogenomics – an individual’s genetic response to medications – is an increasingly important strand of personalised healthcare but little is known about the public's views ...
Study: UTA research drives widespread economic impact
2025-02-19
University of Texas at Arlington research projects contributed $59 million to the national economy in 2024—an increase of 39% from 2023, according to a new report from the Institute for Research on Innovation and Science (IRIS).
UTA has invested heavily in research infrastructure, purchasing cutting-edge scientific equipment and technology, such as North Texas’ most advanced gene sequencer and a super-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging machine for the Clinical Imaging Research Center. The funds also support collaboration with other research organizations.
UTA worked through 1,144 unique ...
Promising results from first prenatal therapy for spinal muscular atrophy
2025-02-19
(MEMPHIS, Tenn. – February 19, 2025) Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder set in motion before birth. Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital led the first in uterotreatment of SMA with the orally administered drug risdiplam. More than two years after the child was born, no identifiable features of SMA have been observed. This study demonstrates the feasibility of treating SMA prenatally and supports further investigation into the approach. The findings were published ...