Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine (CPOM)

The Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine endorses the following statement:

“Obesity is a highly prevalent chronic disease characterized by excessive fat accumulation or distribution that presents a risk to health and requires life-long care. Virtually every system in the body is affected by obesity. Major chronic diseases associated with obesity include diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
"The body mass index (weight in kilograms/height in meters 2) (BMI) is used to screen for obesity but it does not displace clinical judgment. BMI is not a measure of body fat. Social determinants, race, ethnicity and age may modify the risk associated with a given BMI.
"Bias and stigmatization directed at people with obesity contributes to poor health and impairs treatment.
"Every person with obesity should have access to evidence-based treatment.”
- Obesity Medicine Association

Supporting Organizations

Organizations joining The Obesity Society in this effort include:

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the Academy)
American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS)
Obesity Action Coalition (OAC)
Obesity Medicine Association (OMA)
Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance

The Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine is an interdisciplinary research center at the University of Minnesota focusing on improving outcomes for youth afflicted with obesity and related conditions.

The Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine has three primary aims:

Provide the resources, infrastructure, and synergy to generate new knowledge and drive innovation at the intersection of lifestyle modification therapy, pharmacotherapy, device therapy, and bariatric/metabolic surgery to enhance treatment outcomes for youth afflicted with obesity and related diseases/conditions, with a strategic emphasis on precision medicine and a commitment to team science.
Offer multidisciplinary training to the next generation of scientists and medical providers through structured research mentorship and educational opportunities in the field of pediatric obesity medicine.
Engage in advocacy efforts related to policy and guideline development to improve care delivery for youth with obesity.

Our Mission:

Facilitate research to discover new treatments that improve the physical and emotional health of children and teenagers who are affected by obesity and obesity-related conditions.
Train the next generation of scientists and medical providers to advance the cutting-edge field of pediatric obesity medicine.
Advocate for the development of policies and guidelines that support optimal care delivery for youth with obesity.

Education, Training, & Outreach

Education

To meet the growing demand for experts in the sub-specialty of pediatric obesity medicine, we have created a Pediatric Obesity Medicine Fellowship Program that offers clinical, surgical and research opportunities. Fellows will be trained in the specialized, multidisciplinary therapies used to address childhood obesity - including behavioral, pharmacological, and surgical options. Upon completion, fellows will be eligible to sit for the American Board of Obesity Medicine exam.

Workshops & Training

The Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine hosts an annual CME-based pediatric obesity clinical treatment workshop called Advanced Therapies for Pediatric Obesity Therapy (ATPO) in partnership with the M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital.

Policy and Outreach

Our Center has and continues to engage in multiple ongoing activities related to advocacy and policy including working to promote obesity as a priority area of focus within the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act program, lobbying for expanded insurance coverage for anti-obesity treatments, and pursuing affordable and scalable treatments to help address the wide racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic status inequities associated with obesity.

Patient Care

The Center is partnered with the nationally-recognized multidisciplinary Pediatric Weight Management Clinic at the University of Minnesota, which includes the Family Weight Management Program and Teen Weight Loss Surgery Program.

These clinical programs provide exceptional, cutting-edge weight management services and support the post graduate training of pediatric residents and fellows.

Fostering partnerships between clinical care and research provides us the opportunity to better investigate the causes of obesity and identify factors (physiological, genetic, behavioral, psychological, etc) that predict responses to treatments in order to pioneer the development of personalized therapies for obesity. This precision medicine approach to obesity management means using the right treatment for the right patient at the right time and is a primary focus of the Center.

The Center also works closely with faculty investigators spanning the health sciences to cultivate collaborative efforts and maximize synergy, working toward the common goal of developing, evaluating, and implementing innovative treatments for pediatric obesity and related diseases. Additionally, collaborations are underway with other pediatric and research centers at the University of Minnesota, including the Center for Neurobehavioral Development and the Obesity Prevention Center.

Research

The Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine (CPOM) is driven to discover new knowledge to improve the health outcomes of children and teens who struggle with extra weight. This quest includes for example, uncovering the biological, psychological, and environmental causes of abnormal weight gain and testing new treatments for the management of obesity and obesity-related conditions like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or depression.

Research Opportunities for Youth

We are looking for kids and teens who want to participate in research studies to test ways to improve their health and weight status.
All study visits occur at the University of Minnesota campus.
Free parking is available.
All study procedures and supplies are free.
Receive compensation for study visits.
Call or email for more information and to see if you qualify.

Interested in current research happening at CPOM? Click HERE to see if your child qualifies or email: [email protected] for more information.

See If Your Child Qualifies

Interested in participating? Contact us today!

Learn More About Our Research

Watch Jack's Story

Appointments & Locations

Minneapolis

Weight Management
Pediatric Specialty Care Discovery Clinic
2512 Building
Floor 3
2512 S 7th St.
Minneapolis 55454
Appointments: 612‑365‑6777
Provider Referrals: 612‑365‑6777
Information: 612‑365‑6777

Maple Grove

Pediatric Weight Management
Pediatric Specialty Care Clinic
Floor 1, Check-In C
14500 99th Ave. N
Maple Grove, MN 55369
Appointments: 763-898-1220
Provider Referrals: 763-898-1220
Information: 763-898-1220

Burnsville

Pediatric Specialty Care - Burnsville
303 E. Nicollet Blvd.
Suite 372
Burnsville, MN 55337
Appointments: 952-892-2910

Woodbury

Pediatric Weight Management
Pediatric Specialty Care Clinic - Woodbury
9680 Tamarack Road
Suite 130
Woodbury, MN 55125
Appointments: 651-265-7575

In the News

U of M Medical School Research Led to FDA Approval of Anti-obesity Medication

U of M Medical School Research Led to FDA Approval of Anti-Obesity Medication

Meet our Team

The Center is composed of a growing, multidisciplinary cadre of faculty members spanning the health sciences within, and outside of, the University of Minnesota. Benefits of membership include access to core services of the Center, such as equipment and staffing support, along with opportunities for mentorship, advocacy and involvement in other initiatives supported by the Center.