Pediatric Weight Management

Every child and family faces different challenges when it comes to building healthy habits and managing weight. At Children’s Hospital, we offer the only weight management clinic for kids in central Missouri, and our team can help you and your child reach your goals.

Many children and teens benefit from extra support in managing their weight. Our pediatric weight loss experts offer care tailored to their age and developmental needs, with a focus on overall well-being — including energy, sleep and emotional health — rather than numbers alone.

Is Your Child a Candidate for a Weight Management Program?

We help kids ages 6 and older with a body mass index (BMI) at or greater than the 95th percentile for their age and sex. You can check your child’s BMI using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calculator.

If your child qualifies, your pediatrician or primary care provider can refer you to us. Or you can reach out to our team directly.

Weight Management Options for Young People

Our team offers weight management services for kids and teens. We also provide weight loss medications and minimally invasive weight management surgery for teenagers.

Tigers on Track: Weight Management for Kids 6 to 18

Our approach to pediatric weight management starts with Tigers on Track. This specialized program is designed to help your child or teen make lifestyle changes to prevent and treat obesity. Tigers on Track builds better lifelong habits by:

Increasing awareness about healthy eating
Identifying ways for your child to get more exercise
Improving self-esteem
Educating and supporting family members

Our Tigers on Track team includes:

Pediatricians and nurse practitioners: Oversee your child’s weight loss program.
Dietitians: Evaluate your child’s nutrition and help you come up with a personalized food plan for your teen.
Mental health professionals: Assist with psychological factors like depression that can contribute to overeating.
Social workers: Can connect your family to community resources, if needed.

During your first 60-minute visit, you’ll meet with a pediatrician and then a dietitian.

Your pediatrician may order tests, such as bloodwork or genetic testing, which can identify some causes of obesity. They’ll also have a respectful, nonjudgmental discussion with you that is focused on improving your child’s health. Our goal is to help you and your child feel supported and empowered.

Afterwards, your dietitian can provide ideas for meal planning and creating a positive environment around eating.

For each follow-up visit, you’ll continue to meet with a pediatrician and a dietitian.

Weight Loss Medications for Teens

Along with lifestyle changes, oral and injectable weight loss medications like glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1 inhibitors) can help older kids. These treatments may be appropriate for your child if they:

Are age 12 or older
Have a BMI at or greater than the 95th percentile for their age or sex

Our team will carefully assess your teen to determine whether medication is the right option for them. We’ll also work with your insurance to determine which medications are covered.

Minimally Invasive Weight Loss Surgery for Teens

Minimally invasive weight loss surgery may be an option if:

Your teen has a weight-related health condition like diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or sleep apnea
Lifestyle changes haven’t helped them lose weight

Getting a referral for surgery requires an evaluation from our Tigers on Track team.

Your teen’s weight loss surgery team includes:

Bariatric (weight loss) surgeons: Have expertise in performing minimally invasive weight-loss surgery.
Psychologists: Can help your teen with depression, anxiety or low self-esteem related to their weight.
Dietitians: Can help your family with meal planning before and after surgery.
Social workers: Can provide family support and additional resources, if needed.

For teens, our surgeons perform gastric sleeve surgery, which reduces the size of the stomach and helps improve metabolism. Unlike other surgeries for adults, a gastric sleeve does not change how the body absorbs nutrients.

During this surgery, a bariatric surgeon makes a few small incisions in the abdomen. Using specially designed instruments, the surgeon will remove a large part of the stomach and staple the rest closed.

After surgery, your teen will feel fuller faster because they have a smaller stomach. Our team will provide guidance and support to help your teen reach their goals after surgery.