Our mission:
To improve the health and quality of life of children with weight related health complications and support them and their families in achieving a healthy active lifestyle.
Approximately one in four Canadian children is overweight or obese. Of these children, one in 3 will have severe complex obesity with significant weight related health complications such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obstructive sleep apnea. Effective treatment for these complications includes a healthy and active lifestyle.
The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario’s (CHEO) new Centre for Healthy Active Living will allow CHEO to serve affected children through one coordinated and patient-specific plan of care which will include on-site specialists such as a pediatric endocrinologist, registered nurse (case manager), psychologist, child and youth worker, social worker, exercise specialist and a dietitian. In addition, the centre will help community health providers care for kids with, or at risk of developing, complex severe obesity.
The treatment program provides an evidence-based, family-centred, interdisciplinary approach that spans multiple subspecialties and focuses on the whole child, including physical, mental, and social aspects of functioning and their family.
The Centre will work in collaboration with the CHEO Research Institute’s Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research group (HALO) to provide a venue for continued clinical and epidemiological research in treatment and prevention of pediatric obesity and continue to educate and inform the public about the growing epidemic of childhood obesity.
Referral Criteria:
| Weight Management Program |
|
Referrals accepted from physicians only
We are accepting referrals for children and youth with complex severe obesity which is defined as:
1. BMI > 99th% or
2. BMI > 95th% with associated severe medical or psychosocial co-morbidity or chronic illness impacted by obesity:
• Hypertension requiring pharmacotherapy
• Hyperlipidemia requiring pharmacotherapy-(LDL-C and/or Non-HDL- C > 4.2 mmol/L)
• Technology dependant sleep disordered breathing (CPAP or BiPAP)
• Persistent Impaired Glucose Tolerance or Impaired Fasting Glucose(over a 6 month period- defined as fasting plasma glucose > 6.1 mmo/L and/or 2h plasma glucose > 7.8 mmo/L)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
• Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (elevated liver enzymes and U/S evidence of fatty infiltration)
• Hypothalamic obesity (secondary to CNS tumour)
• Chronic disease negatively impacted by obesity
Click HERE to learn more....
Download the weight management referral form
Download the Healthcare Practitioners Toolkit |
Contact and Location Information
Should there be questions about the program, please call the Centre or click here. If no one is available to take your call, leave a message that includes your name and your relationship to the child, the name and date of birth of the child, the name of the doctor, and details on where and when you can be reached. Centre for Healthy Active Living: 613-260-1477
CHAL Information Session
Click here to access the CHAL Information Session (use the password provided to you in the letter).