Abstract
Our purpose was to conduct a national environmental scan of pediatric weight management programs in Canada. Data were entered by program representatives regarding the history, structure, and function of their weight management programs using an online survey that our team developed in partnership with the Canadian Obesity Network (www.obesitynetwork.ca). Of the 18 programs that were identified, all included multidisciplinary teams that take a family-centred, lifestyle/behavioural therapeutic approach; health services were accessed primarily through physician referral. Most programs were launched in the past five years with public funding and enrolled ∼125 clients/year into one-on-one and/or group-based weight management care. Although many participated in research and were affiliated with academic institutions, most did not systematically evaluate their obesity-related programming. Based on these observations, recommendations related to program evaluation, health services delivery, and network collaborations are provided to inform future directions for research and clinical care that have both domestic and international relevance.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank all of the representatives who submitted information regarding their pediatric weight management programs and the Canadian Obesity Network for providing in-kind technical support to develop our online survey, Mr. Doug Hagedorn for cartographic support, and Ms. Amanda Beekman and Ms. Ashlee Pigford for administrative support.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.