Parents and GPs unite to fight obesity epidemic

Researchers from the Monash University’s Department of General Practice are working with parents of overweight children to try to find out what kind of hurdles they experience when seeking GP support.

The team will interview parents about what they expect from their GPs and what sort of experiences, good and bad, they may have had when seeking help for problems related to children being overweight. They hope the results of the study will lead to improvements to GP training and the ways information is provided to patients.

The research will build upon another Australian study that found doctors find it difficult to raise the issue of childhood obesity with parents even though they are aware of the importance of managing the problem.

Lead researcher Associate Professor John Dixon said childhood obesity demanded urgent attention, with one in five children overweight and up to six per cent obese in Australia.

"GPs have played an important role in the success of public health programs for smoking and alcohol cessation but we are yet to see evidence of the positive effect they have on overweight and obesity statistics," Associate Professor Dixon said.

"We need to explore and resolve the difficulties that GPs have in raising the topic with their patients. We want to know what families expect from their GPs and what sort of experiences, good and bad, they may have had when seeking help for problems related to children being overweight and/or obese."

Associate Professor Dixon said the identified health problems, stigmatisation and costs of the childhood obesity epidemic were significant.

"While state and local governments are providing important funding for prevention programs, this is only part of what is needed to help many families and children who are dealing with this chronic condition," Associate Professor Dixon said.

"The results from this study, combined with an assessment of the effect of educational programs on detection and management of childhood obesity, will hopefully lead to improvements in the delivery of healthcare to young people who are overweight or obese.

"This may include improvements to GP training, the support offered by allied health professionals and community groups, and the mechanisms GPs use to provide patients with information and support."

If you would like to participate in the study contact Dr Kay Jones on +61 3 8575 2224 or Leah Falkingham +61 3 8575 2223.

(Source: Monash University: June 2009)