Funding outcome

There is no standard definition of severe obesity (SO) for children in Canada. This is a problem because we do not know how the weight status of children with SO changes in response to interventions for managing obesity. Our goal is to determine the best way to measure SO in Canadian children. To achieve this goal, we will analyze data from an existing national study on obesity management. This study includes data from ~1,200 children with obesity. We will test relationships between different measures of SO and risk factors for chronic diseases, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. We will also test changes in these measures and risk factors over time. Once we find the best measure of SO, we will create digital tools for clinicians to measure SO in children. We will also make educational resources for clinicians. These will help them understand how to use the digital tools in practice. Our study materials will be available for free at the Canadian Pediatric Endocrine Group and Obesity Canada websites. To evaluate the use of our tools and resources, we will use Google Analytics. We will measure variables related to website traffic, including number of visitors, page views, and downloads. This research will lead to a made-in-Canada definition for SO in children that is useful for families, clinicians, and researchers.