Residential Treatment Programs for Pediatric Obesity

Levels of overweight and obesity in children continue to increase despite recognition within the public health agenda, growing levels of media attention, and public debate. Of course the negative physical, psychological, and social consequences of obesity are of major concern to those people involved in tackling this condition. At this time the prevention of obesity is considered the primary objective in efforts to tackle this problem on a national scale (Department of Health, 2004; Institute of Medicine, 2004). However, given the current levels of obesity such a strategy will on average exclude the one in three children that are already overweight to such a degree that their health will be negatively affected. This is a concern given that this group represents a sizable proportion of the population and they are likely to require greater healthcare support in the medium and long term (Haslam, Sattar, & Lean, 2006). Daviglus et al. (2004) concluded that “overweight/ obesity in young adulthood and middle age has long term adverse consequences for health care costs in older age” (p. 2743) with annual health care costs averaging $6,244 for normal weight, $7,653 for overweight, $9,612 for obese and $12,432 for severely obese women. Arter-burn, Maciejewski, and Tsevat (2005) have also contributed to this evidence, suggesting healthcare expenditures were 81 percent higher for the morbidly obese than normal weight individuals—equating to more than $11 billion in 2000. Such evidence demonstrates the need for the development and delivery of a range of initiatives to combat this growing epidemic.