Pediatric obesity is a complex, chronic, progressive, and relapsing disease characterized by excess or abnormal body fat compromising the health and well-being of children and their families. Globally, the prevalence of pediatric obesity has nearly tripled in the past three decades, and its persistence into adulthood is associated with significant health consequences. This highlights the urgent need for effective pediatric management strategies. This session will merge nutrition and endocrinology, addressing the full spectrum of pediatric obesity. Presentations will highlight recent advances and the nutritional concerns in pharmacological therapies, including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (e.g., semaglutide, tirzepatide [dual GLP-1/GIP agonist]) and setmelanotide, a melanocortin-4 receptor agonist indicated for genetic obesity. The session will also explore cutting-edge methods in body composition assessment and the role of nutrition in both prevention and treatment, particularly in the context of expanding pharmacotherapy so as to provide attendees with a comprehensive and translational understanding of pediatric obesity, offering evidence-based insights to optimize clinical care and improve outcomes for children and families.
Agricultural Food and Nutritional Science
University of Alberta
Dr. Field is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Alberta in the Faculty of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences and a former CRC Tier II in Human Nutrition and Metabolism. She is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the Canadian Nutrition Society and received the McCalla and Killam Professorships from the University of Alberta, and the Earl Willard McHenry Award for Leadership in Nutrition from the Canadian Nutrition Society. She is an Associate Editor for Advances in Nutrition and Past President of the American Society for Nutrition and currently a Trustee on the Foundation Board. Her research program centers on the effect of nutrition on the immune system. Current areas of research are the use of specific fatty acids in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer, the role of polyunsaturated fats in the development of the infant’s immune system, and identifying the association between nutritional status and maternal mental health and the neuro-physical development of infants. She has published more than 350 peer reviewed publication and given 140 invited talks around the world.