What You Should Know:
- knownwell, a fully integrated virtual and in-person weight-inclusive healthcare company, today announced the launch of knownwell teens, an early intervention clinical offering designed to support the 14 million children and teens living with obesity in the United States.
- Created by knownwell’s renowned metabolic health experts, this new model aims to empower patients on their wellness journey through the company’s clinically-rigorous care model.
Redoubling the Commitment to Preventative Metabolic Healthcare
The existing healthcare system in the United States faces a clear challenge related to weight bias, often causing both children and adults to feel marginalized based on their body weight. In response to this issue, knownwell addresses weight bias by establishing a patient-centric environment where the care team collaborates with patients to achieve their health and wellness objectives. knownwell’s approach involves a comprehensive clinical strategy to identify and treat the root causes of early obesity, incorporating nutritional counseling and behavioral health services. This stands in contrast to the commonly used stigmatizing and diet-focused approach for individuals aged 12 to 18.
Dr. Angela Fitch, Chief Medical Officer at knownwell and President of the Obesity Medicine Association, emphasized the need for a clinical approach to combat the childhood onset of chronic obesity. She explained, “We’ve recognized for an extended period that the chronic disease of obesity often originates in childhood, yet there has been minimal effort from a genuinely clinical standpoint to address this escalating epidemic. That’s why we’ve developed a groundbreaking metabolic health program specifically tailored for adolescents, aiming to treat the underlying metabolic health condition without resorting to shaming or instructing children on dieting.”
Notably, GLP-1s like Semaglutide have already received FDA approval for treating obesity in teens aged 12 and older. A 2022 clinical trial demonstrated a 16.1 percent reduction in body mass index (BMI) in teens with obesity who received Wegovy injection compared to those who received a placebo. By providing access to such medications, adolescents now have an additional treatment option to complement the behavioral and lifestyle changes facilitated by knownwell. Through early intervention and a focus on metabolic health, knownwell strives to contribute to a healthier America, reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as type two diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
