Food as Medicine for Obesity Treatment and Management.

PURPOSE: Nutrition is an important lifestyle modification used in the treatment of obesity. The purpose of this review is to highlight different dietary interventions used to promote weight loss in both adults and children. METHODS: A search using PubMed was performed for articles on topics related to nutrition and management and/or treatment of obesity in adults adolescents and children. The literature was reviewed and pertinent sources were used for this narrative review. DISCUSSION: There are many effective nutrition interventions used to treat obesity, including altering macronutrient composition, implementing different dietary patterns, and changing meal timing. Although these interventions can induce weight loss in adults, management of obesity in children is more difficult given their varied nutrition needs in growth and development. The use of food as medicine in obesity treatment is individualized based on patient's age, food preference, and concurrent medical conditions. IMPLICATIONS: Given the multifactorial etiology of obesity, treatment requires multidisciplinary care beyond nutrition intervention.

Racial Disparities in Obesity Treatment Among Children and Adolescents.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: With the growing obesity epidemic among children and adolescents, the evaluation of disease origin to slow disease progression is necessary. Racial disparities which are evident amid prevalence and treatment must be studied to counteract disease propagation. RECENT FINDINGS: Disparities are pronounced among Black and Hispanic pediatric patients prior to conception and birth due to genetic composition and fetal environment. Postnatal environment and psychosocial influences can further increase a child/adolescent's propensity to increased weight. Current treatment options including nutrition, physical activity, behavior modification, pharmacotherapy, and surgery are underutilized in communities of color due to limited access to care and cost. Data is limited to demonstrate disparities among treatment of obesity in children and adolescents. The reviewed studies show the role of race on disease treatment. Increased research efforts, especially in pharmacotherapy and metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS), will help combat obesity in pediatric communities of color.