Children aged between 6 and 10 years old are required for a one year pilot study to help tackle the growing issue of childhood obesity conducted in partnership with the Mater Children’s Hospital and The University of Queensland.
The Child Obesity Program at the Mater, also known as KOALA*, will take a holistic approach by investigating the genetic, environmental and behavioural reasons behind childhood obesity.
Dr Gary Leong, a paediatric endocrinologist and researcher, who divides his time between UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) and the Mater Children’s Hospital, will lead the Child Obesity Program at the Mater, established with a $266,792 grant from the Golden Casket Medical Foundation.
“Obesity in children and adolescents has reached alarming levels, with a quarter now overweight or obese," he said.
“If current obesity trends continue, in less than twenty years, half of Australian children will be overweight which will lead to an explosion of Type 2 Diabetes in adolescents or young adults.”
It’s a trend that Dr Leong and his multi-disciplinary team are determined to reverse.
Dr Leong and his IMB colleagues, including Professors George Muscat and Mike Waters, will examine which genes are expressed in these children and use this information to predict which children are more at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease and the metabolic syndrome.
“If we are able to identify much earlier which children are more likely to suffer serious health problems as a result of their obesity, then we can target these children with more intensive therapy,” Dr Leong said.
“Basically, if we can identify a pre-clinical biomarker for the various complications of obesity on the heart, blood vessels, kidneys and Type 2 Diabetes, we will have a much, much better chance of preventing the devastating long-term problems associated with obesity.”
But the genetic side of weight control is not the only side to the Child Obesity Program – the lifestyle of the family is also a major component of why children become obese.
The study will also consist of a 20-week family and child education course delivered by Professor Matt Sanders’ Lifestyle Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) team using an Active Family Camp Program and leadership resources of Scouts Queensland, in order to motivate and change behaviour to improve the health and fitness of the entire family.
This course will be supported by a multidisciplinary clinic at the Mater Children’s Hospital that will include medical, nursing, psychological and allied health professional team members, including Professor Doune McDonald’s team from the School of Human Movement Studies at UQ, as well as Assoc. Prof. Jenny Ziviani (Division of Occupational Therapy) and other important members from the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.
The researchers have also linked in with GPs through the South-East Area Alliance of General Practice (Brisbane), Diabetes Australia QLD and the Heart Foundation. In addition, the program was awarded $32,000 from the Community Partnerships Grants program to help run the community intervention.
Dr Leong, who hopes the multi-pronged program will lead to happier and healthier Queensland children, received a $50,000 Merrill Lynch Child Health Research Award to aid the program. The award is given to “a Fellow or Advanced Trainee of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians for research into childhood obesity.”
For further information about the study, please contact Project Coordinator, Denise Mitchell on (07) 3840 2575 or email denise.mitchell@mater.org.au
*KOALA stands for - Kinder: for children and families; Overweight: for overcoming and being OK!; Activity: for an active mind and an active body; Lifestyle: for a living life-giving diet; Actions - for all together and ahead we look.
Media inquiries: Interviews are available with Paediatric Endocrinologist Dr Gary Leong upon request. Miranda Hunt, Public Affairs Manager, Mater Health Services (07 3840 1195 or 0410 417 790) or Bronwyn Allan, Marketing and Communications Officer, Institute for Molecular Bioscience (07 3346 2134 or 0418 575 247).
