A suite of foundation elearning resources is now available to support professionals working with children and young people living with obesity. The Complications from Excess Weight (CEW) elearning module has been created by NHS England in collaboration with the BDA’s Obesity and Paediatric Specialist Groups.
The foundation level training can help upskill clinicians working within CEW clinics and other professionals working with children living with obesity. It enables a standardised approach to service provision across the country.
The online training covers the causes of childhood obesity, the relationship between obesity and mental health, the physical and social complications of obesity, and provides an overview of evidence-based lifestyle changes to form part of a childhood weight management intervention.
Registered Dietitian Dr Laura Stewart led this piece of work for the BDA Obesity and Paediatric Specialist Groups. Laura said, “This elearning module on childhood obesity has been developed by a multi professional group of writers, led by dietitians from the BDA’s Obesity and Paediatric Specialist Groups. The aim of this foundation level module is to give everyone working with children and young people a crucial understanding of the biopsychosocial complexities of childhood obesity.”
Crucially, the training highlights the importance of non-stigmatising communication and designing compassionate services, to help reduce weight-related bias and stigma. It also highlights solutions that use a family-based, person-centred, behavioural change approach, supporting the modelling of behaviours from parents or carers and the rest of the family.
The programme comprises 5 sessions:
- Introduction to identification of complications associated with excessive weight in children and young people (C&YP).
- An introduction to understanding different levels of overweight in children and young people living with complications associated with excess weight
- Connection between severe obesity and mental health
- Interventions for Childhood Weight Management
- Prevalence of childhood obesity, influence of social factors including poverty and appropriate safeguarding
The training is aimed primarily at multidisciplinary teams working in CEW services and staff working with children and young people across health and care.
To find out more and to access the training, please visit the Complications from Excess Weight in Children and Young People elearning programme page.
