Confronting the Growing Epidemic of Childhood Obesity—Dyan Hes, MD—Gramercy Pediatrics

As the medical director of Gramercy Pediatrics In New York City, Dr. Dyan Hes specializes in what's become an epidemic over the past several decades: pediatric obesity. According to the CDC, approximately 19 percent or 13.7 million children in the U.S. are obese, and while it's true that genetics can contribute to this in some families, as a whole the genetics of the human population has not changed enough to account for it. And it's not just the U.S.—it's a first-world problem that's quickly spread to third world countries. So, what's the deal?

Dr. Hes makes for an insightful and eye-opening conversation by sharing her expertise on the subject and the experiences she's had with her patients, who range from infants to young adults suffering from one or more conditions due to obesity, including pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, insulin resistance, irregular menstrual cycles, and joint pain. According to Dr. Hes, kids are being given too much of the wrong types of food and not enough of the right types, especially from school cafeterias.

On top of that, many school districts don't have enough funding to provide physical education beyond 45 minutes per week. Add to the mixture an overall increase in sedentary lifestyles and reliance on technology, and you have the ingredients for this current epidemic.

Tune in to hear the full conversation and learn how to take the steps to start turning this around. For resources, visit the Obesity Action Coalition and American Board of Obesity Medicine websites and seek out local wellness programs in your area. To learn more about Dr. Hes' work, visit gramercypediatrics.com.