Multidisciplinary Paediatric Obesity and Weight Research Group (M_POWR)

The Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI) has named childhood obesity as one of its priority research areas.

The Multidisciplinary Paediatric Obesity and Weight Research Group (M_POWR) has brought together a full range of specialists in children's health to determine how to tackle this problem. It links obesity researchers across the Institute with clinicians throughout the Royal Children's Hospital. M_POWR's vision is to conduct cutting-edge research to:

• Prevent child and adolescent obesity

• Understand the risks for child obesity including environmental, genetic and lifestyle factors

• Find out who develops early complications and why

• Treat obesity effectively and prevent its complications

We want these advances to be available to all children and adolescents who need them.

Investigators coordinating the M_POWR group are:

Richard Saffery
Cancer & Epigenetics
richard.saffery@mcri.edu.au

Melissa Wake
Community Child Health
melissa.wake@rch.org.au

Matthew Sabin
Hormone Research
matthew.sabin@mcri.edu.au

Michele Campbell
Hearing, Language & Literacy
michele.campbell@mcri.edu.au

cross sectional studies

Addressing Type 2 diabetes in the childhood and adolescent population in Australia: Phase I - Identification of children/adolescents with established Type 2 diabetes (2008-2009).

Even though Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes both mean there is a problem in the way a person's body deals with sugar (insulin), they are quite different diseases with different causes and treatments. Not much is known about Type 2 diabetes in youth because it has, until recently, been a problem that only develops in older adults. However, due to the recent increases in childhood obesity, Type 2 diabetes is now emerging as a significant problem in youth. This project will try to find out how many and which children are developing Type 2 diabetes. This is important for modelling current health-care strategies so that doctors know how many children they will have to treat over the next decade. It is also important for the future so that doctors and hospitals can be ready for the other health problems that can happen to people with Type 2 diabetes. As this problem is relatively new in the childhood and adolescent population, it is important to start looking at ways to prevent this problem occurring in other children as well as stopping the development of other health problems in those with established disease.

Does hyperphagia play a role in the development of childhood obesity? 2008-2009

This study is comparing the level of hyperphagia (overeating) between three important groups of obese children - those with simple lifestyle-related obesity, those with obesity associated with intellectual disability, and those with Prader-Willi Syndrome (a genetic disorder that causes over eating and other health problems).

Further understanding of the biological mechanisms behind the development of obesity in children would have enormous potential to inform clinical practice for individuals with lifestyle-related obesity.

case control studies

Assessment of cardiac function in children with obesity-related Type 2 diabetes. (2007-2009)

Type 2 diabetes is associated with numerous other health problems, including heart disease. Because Type II diabetes has only recently emerged in adolescence, there are no established childhood treatment guidelines. Published protocols suggest the regular assessment of 'traditional' cardiovascular risk factors, such as blood fat levels and blood pressure, should be performed along with monitoring the patient's diabetes. In the Department of Cardiology at the Royal Children's Hospital more modern methods of assessment of cardiac function are now available. We aim to compare the heart function of children with obesity-related Type II diabetes to that of children with obesity alone.

cohort studies

The PEAS Kids Growth Study (2003-2010).

A number of growth patterns in early childhood, such as early 'adiposity rebound' may increase the risk of later obesity. The 'adiposity rebound' describes a steady rise in body mass index (BMI) which occurs after a typical period of leanness in the preschool years.

The PEAS Kids Growth Study follows a group of 341 children from 4 to 6.5 years during the period of 'adiposity rebound'. These children had previously taken part in the Parental Education and Support (PEAS) Program in infancy. The growth study investigates changes in BMI and percentage body fat during the 'adiposity rebound'. It also examines how the children's growth patterns and weight status at 6 years relate to predictive factors in early life, such as parental weight status, social factors, pre- and postnatal smoking, nutrition and physical activity.

We are conducting a follow-up study of the PEAS cohort in 2009, when the children are 10 years of age. The aims are to provide information about how children's growth patterns in early life relate to body mass index, body fat and lean mass, cardiovascular health and well-being at age 10.

Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (Growing Up in Australia) (2002-2010).

Growing Up in Australia is the biggest ongoing national study of children ever mounted in Australia - following 10,000 children recruited as babies and preschoolers in 2004. Our Growing Up obesity research was selected by NHMRC for the 2008 '10 of the Best'

Several of our researchers play prominent roles in Growing Up in Australia. Melissa Wake heads the national Health Design Team; Jan Nicholson heads the national Family Functioning Team; and John Carlin was a consultant to the study's Survey Design Team.

intervention trials

HopSCOTCH: The Shared Care Outcomes Trial in Children (2008-2010).

Most of the 200,000 overweight or obese children in Australia aren't currently receiving any care for their obesity. This could change dramatically if general practitioners were supported to work effectively with specialist services.

HopSCOTCH is a randomised trial of a shared-care approach to managing obesity in 3 to 9 year olds. GPs will share care with a specialist multidisciplinary team, supported by state-of-the-art shared software. 12 month outcomes include healthier growth patterns and an economic evaluation.

contact & feedback

For more information on the M_POWR multidisciplinary initiative, obesity research, or feedback on this website, please contact:

Multidisciplinary Paediatric Obesity & Weight Research Group (M_POWR)
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
Royal Children's Hospital
Flemington Rd
Parkville
Victoria, 3052

E  mpowr@mcri.edu.au