Jan. 22, 2025 — A new program at the University of Florida College of Medicine is paving the way for specialized training on a growing national health concern.

The new Pediatric Obesity Fellowship Training Program, launched in July 2024, is just the second pediatric obesity fellowship in the southeastern United States and is tackling a growing need for prevention and treatment as obesity rates continue to rise around the nation.

Approximately 1 in 5 U.S. children and adolescents have obesity, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At the state level, data from the Florida Policy Institute’s 2023 Florida Child Well-Being Index reports 37.6% of first-, third-, and sixth-grade students as meeting the criteria for overweight or obese.

“There’s a significant need for physicians trained in pediatric obesity medicine. Pediatric Obesity is an epidemic in this country. It’s been an issue for a while, and it’s only getting worse,” said Angelina V. Bernier, M.D. ’02, medical director of UF’s metabolic and obesity clinic, pediatric medical adviser to the UF Health Bariatric Surgery Center, and fellowship program director. “This issue isn’t easily managed by primary care providers or generalists. We need people who are really knowledgeable in approaches for the evaluation of underlying conditions and who can advise patients on the right treatment approaches, like lifestyle modification, pharmacotherapy, and even bariatric surgery when appropriate.”

At the UF Health Pediatric Metabolic & Obesity Program, Bernier said, there is a huge backlog of patients traveling from around the state to be seen but not enough providers in the area. When she heard UF’s adult obesity medicine counterpart was creating a fellowship program, she quickly jumped on board to develop a parallel pediatrics program.

“Let’s not leave kids behind,” she said.

Designed to provide in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience in the prevention, assessment, and treatment of pediatric obesity, the fellowship program includes several unique features focused on both medical and surgical interventions.

Fellows train to integrate fitness assessments into patient evaluation and management, and collaborate with multidisciplinary adolescent bariatric surgery teams for pre-op, post-op, and follow-up care. They also learn the latest endoscopic techniques.

Trainees can also join and head leading-edge research, including clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and innovative health interventions. They may also explore advanced training in metabolic syndrome, comorbidities of obesity, family-centered care, and social determinants of health. Outreach opportunities are available for fellows to discuss obesity prevention with local families, schools, and communities.

Shivani Berry, M.D., MBBS, joined as the program’s first fellow in 2024 after rotating at UF with Bernier during electives for her residency training at Larkin Community Hospital in South Miami.

“The biggest part of medicine for me is being able to make a change and focus on prevention,” she said. “The age group that I found to do that is pediatrics. How can you build better habits for later in life? Teach them now. I want to help patients make a difference at a younger age so eventually, they don’t actually need me.”

Now at UF, Berry is able to make that change with patients in the clinic, local schools, and the wider Florida community.

“UF is a great place for me because I’ve always wanted to be in an academic institution. I love teaching, and I love helping others achieve their goals,” she said. “Being in a place where I’m able to start something that can continue on for others feels very special.”

Berry and Bernier also enjoy spending time with each other’s family outside of work thanks to a friendship that has developed from the collegial nature of the fellowship program. It’s a nurturing environment and collaboration that Berry said she hopes to continue by staying at UF after completing her fellowship training and transitioning into a full-time faculty position.

“This is a really strong place to have a good early career foundation. There’s so much leadership to help steer you,” she said. “The amount of resources and support I’ve had in this department is incredible. I found a very supportive and encouraging environment, and I have immense gratitude for the people who were able to put this program together.”

Moving forward, the program has already accepted its next fellow for the 2025-26 academic year. Bernier plans to continue growing the fellowship through a grant from the Obesity Medicine Fellowship Council, where she is working to include the UF Pediatric Obesity Fellowship Program in its directory alongside the university’s adult obesity medicine counterpart.