Nutritional Strategies for Children with Obesity | Part 6 Bridging Research and Practice in Pediatric Nutrition

What the Data Really Say: Navigating Nutrition and Behavior Interventions in Pediatric Obesity CareThis presentation will review the evidence supporting family-centered, lifestyle-based, and nutritional interventions for pediatric obesity, including impacts on patient-reported outcomes, cardiometabolic health and anthropometrics, and how the evidence shaped the recent Clinical Practice Guideline for the management of pediatric obesity.

Melanie Henderson, MD, PhD
University of Montreal/CHU Sainte-Justine

Mélanie Henderson is a Pediatric Endocrinologist and researcher at CHU Sainte-Justine and Full Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Université de Montréal. Her research focuses on pediatric cardiometabolic health and its epidemiology. She is particularly interested in the influence of lifestyle habits (physical activity, sedentary behavior, diet and sleep) on metabolic health in various population, including healthy children and those living with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, in order to identify the best preventive strategies. She is co-director of the “Centre CIRCUIT”, that proposes novel strategies for the treatment or prevention of cardiovascular disease risk in children. She is also director of the “Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health” research axis at the CHU Sainte-Justine. Dr Henderson has received several awards, including the «Young Investigator Award» from the CSEM (Canadian Society for Endocrinology and Metabolism).

Pediatric Obesity: Biology, Environment, and the Promise of Precision Therapies
This presentation highlights the complex, multifactorial drivers of pediatric obesity, including the interplay between genetic predisposition, environmental influences, and social determinants of health. It will also review emerging pharmacologic approaches, including the role of GLP‑1 receptor agonists within comprehensive, family-centered care.

Jill Hamilton, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Hospital for Sick Children

Jill Hamilton (MD, MSc, FRCPC) is Head of the Division of Endocrinology at the Hospital for Sick Children, Senior Associate Scientist at the Research Institute, and Professor of Paediatrics at University of Toronto.  Her clinical and research work is in endocrinology and diabetes with a particular focus in the areas of obesity. She is the medical director of the Healthy Living Clinic at SickKids.   Her research focuses on (i) the metabolic complications of obesity in childhood, (ii) biologic and psychosocial determinants of obesity, and (iii) obesity treatment outcomes and interventions. 

Update on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)
This presentation will cover the rationale for the MASLD terminology, review new data on the natural history and outcomes of pediatric MASLD, as well as available and emerging pharmacotherapies for children with this condition.

Marialena Mouzaki, MD MSc PNS DABOM
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Dr. Mouzaki is a Pediatric Gastroenterologist in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She is the Clinical Director of Advanced Nutrition Services at CCHMC and a Professor at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Mouzaki received her MD from the National and Kapodistrian Medical School of Athens, Greece and then completed her Residency Training in General Pediatrics at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Pennsylvania. She completed her Fellowship Training in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the Hospital for Sick Children and obtained a Masters in Science from the Institute of Medical Sciences at the University of Toronto. She is board certified in pediatric gastroenterology, in nutrition and in obesity medicine. Her clinical and translational research focuses on pediatric metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease.