Pediatrics
University of Alberta
Not all obesity is the same. Focusing on pediatric obesity management, this presentation will give attendees a better understanding of the complexity of pediatric obesity. This session will include a brief overview of rare monogenetic and syndromic forms of pediatric obesity such as Prader-Willi syndrome and Bardet-Biedl syndrome, as well as a discussion on the more common, multifactorial obesity that is shaped by a combination of genetic, environmental, psychosocial, and physiological factors. This talk will explore the overlapping and distinct mechanisms of each by describing their underlying pathophysiology and clinical presentations, as well as discuss key implications for diagnosis and treatment. This session will also provide an overview of emerging medications for the treatment of pediatric obesity, highlighting the recent advances in setmelanotide, a melanocortin-4 receptor agonist used for genetic forms of obesity, and glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist-based therapies, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide. The risks and benefits of these pharmacological therapies in pediatric obesity management will be thoroughly discussed, as well as the implications for clinical management. By providing insights from basic science and clinical practice, attendees will leave with a more comprehensive, state-of-the-art understanding of pediatric obesity and the innovative strategies applicable to research and clinical care.
Dr. Andrea Haqq is a Pediatric Endocrinologist at the Stollery Children’s Hospital and a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta, Canada. As a clinician-scientist with an established international collaborative research program, she explores the genetic and metabolic foundations of pediatric obesity. Dr. Haqq is an internationally recognized expert in the study of Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) and childhood obesity. She has become known and sought after as a specialized pediatric endocrinologist for such children. She is PI for several clinical trials of novel anti-obesity drugs in severe childhood obesity (Rhythm Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly). Her expertise spans the interface of basic, clinical and translational research and my novel studies have incorporated biochemistry, physiology, genetics, human microbiota, and clinical trials.