Pediatric Weight Management Clinic

Seema Kumar, M.D., Chair, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism, Mayo Clinic: Hi. I’m Dr. Seema Kumar from the Mayo Clinic Children’s Center in Rochester, Minnesota. I am the medical director of our pediatric weight management program. Our program is truly multi-disciplinary and offers services to children that are obese or have obesity-related complications. As we all know, childhood obesity is a significant health problem facing a country right now. Eighteen percent of children between the ages of 6 and 11 are obese and another twenty-one percent of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 are obese. We have put together a multidisciplinary team that includes a pediatric bariatrician with expertise in obesity management, psychologists, nutritionist and physical therapy. We offer a variety of services including psychological services, nutrition counseling, physical activity support and, in a selected number of children, medications and bariatric surgery. Our treatment is multidisciplinary, however comprehensive and individualized. We try to determine what is contributing to weight gaining your child. Our program is successful and we look forward to seeing you.