Community-based management of pediatric severe obesity

Park Kyung Hee
Department of Family Medicine, Hallym University

The prevalence of severe pediatric obesity is increasing worldwide. In Korea, the stigma and the lack of education surrounding obesity in society, limited accessibility to medical care related to obesity, and a lack of systematic management may represent major obstacles to the effective management of severe pediatric obesity. To date, no intervention program for severe pediatric obesity has been conducted in Korea. Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish an intervention model for severe pediatric obesity based on real-life scenarios and to examine the effects of the intervention model in Korea. Finally, based on the findings of the intervention model, this study recommended that a community based continuous care model for severely obese children and adolescents in Korea be implemented.

Keywords: morbid obesity, pediatric obesity, lifestyle, intervention, community-based