The Healthy Lifestyle Clinic is a weight management program for children and teens with obesity and obesity-related health complications.  Patients receive coordinated care all under one roof from a team of providers, including a dietitian, exercise physiologist, social worker, nurse practitioner, endocrinologist, cardiologist, hepatologist, and adolescent bariatric surgeon.  We also have a dedicated psychologist, dentist, ophthalmologist, adolescent gynecologist, and sleep medicine pulmonologist on our team who work closely with us for direct referrals from our clinic.  Our goal is to empower children and their families to lead healthier lifestyles through improved nutrition, physical activity, sleep quality, and emotional well-being.  In addition to lifestyle modification, we offer weight loss medications, and for teens with the most severe obesity and comorbidities, bariatric surgery (laparoscopic vertical sleeve gastrectomy) is available. 

Evaluation and Management of Obesity-Related Health Conditions

Because of our team of subspecialists, we are able to manage not only obesity but also its complications, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, fatty liver disease, steatohepatitis, and obstructive sleep apnea.  We also provide comprehensive care for children with genetic obesity disorders such as Alström, Bardet-Biedl, Prader-Willi, ROHHAD, Smith-Magenis, and WAGR/11p deletion syndromes, and patients with leptin pathway disorders, including LEP, LEPR, POMC, PCSK1, MC4R, BDNF, and NTRK2 genetic variants.

Innovative Programs in the Healthy Lifestyle Clinic

We invite all our patients to participate in research if they are interested. We are building a biorepository of genetic and biochemical samples, and we are conducting clinical trials and studies in animal models to improve personalized therapy by targeting the genetic, behavioral, and environmental determinants of metabolic health unique to each person.  In the community, we are planning group exercise programs and cooking classes - the COVID pandemic is presenting challenges, but we are working on technology-based strategies to offer these activities safely.