Integrative Approach to Obesity

Integrative medicine blends conventional medicine with carefully evaluated complementary therapies and considers all elements of a patient's lifestyle (physical, mental, spiritual). Integrative medicine therapies and philosophies have characteristics similar to those of successful treatment programs for pediatric obesity. This article defines pediatric obesity and explores those similarities in more detail. It also updates the practitioner on selected integrative approaches as they relate to prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity.