Clinician's guide to healthy kids

Disordered eating is prevalent in our society, and when we discuss health, we want to approach conversations in ways that promote healthy relationships with food.  Learn from our expert, Dr Michelle Boyd what to ask and what not to ask, and what red flags you should keep in mind when discussing health behaviours with families.Host Dr Sam Manger chats to Dr Michelle Boyd, a general paediatrician based at the Queensland Children Hospital and CYMHS Greenslopes Eating Disorders Program. She currently leads the inpatient care of the eating disorders cohort at QCH and currently contributes to many local, state-wide and national eating disorders training and education forums. 

Working in primary care can be a tough job.  Weaving conversations about nutrition, physical activity, and sleep into a 10-minute consult can be even harder.  Dr Sally Crane discusses how she does this routinely and how she motivates her patients to make small behaviour changes that work and are sustainable.Dr Sally Crane is a General Practitioner who enjoys working closely with children with allergies, restrictive eating habits and weight concerns. Sally collaborates with families to promote and normalise healthy eating habits and enjoyment of food and activity. 

Sleep is a superpower.  Inadequate or poor sleep has been linked to negative mental health and linked to depression and anxiety.  Find out the best tips to support families towards better health through improved sleep as host Dr. Sam Manger, talks with our sleep expert, Dr Honey Heussler. Dr Honey Heussler is a Developmental and Sleep paediatrician based at the Queensland Children’s Hospital. She is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Queensland. She works clinically, is the Medical Director of Child and Youth Community health services as well as having a strong research program. 

Moving is key for health but beyond sport, it can be difficult to suggest practical ideas for busy families to get their kids off the couch.  This episode is all about movement and how to help families be healthier through being active.  Today's guest, Dr Kathryn Fortnum is a Research Fellow at the Health and Wellbeing Centre for Research Innovation and an Accredited Exercise Physiologist. She has a particular interest in children and youth and mental health. Prior to moving to Brisbane to pursue research, Dr Fortnum worked clinically in inpatient and community settings for the Child and Adolescent Mental  Health Service WA, and supported children impacted by neurological disorders including spina bifida and cerebral palsy to engage in community-based physical programs. 

Nutrition can often be difficult for experienced health professionals to “get right”.  Use this podcast to learn how we can support the families we see to be healthier through food and nutrition, whilst keeping an eye on the clock! In this episode Dr Sam Manger talks to Dr Natassja Billich about healthy growth with healthy diets. Dr Billich is a post-doctoral researcher and paediatric dietitian. She has worked in two tertiary paediatric weight management clinics in Melbourne and Brisbane. Her doctoral research explored approaches to weight management in children with neuromuscular conditions. 

The language around weight can be difficult to navigate.  We want to encourage health to be the focus, but this can be difficult to do alongside weight stigma or bias.  Learn more about how we can create conversations that are weight-neutral and body positive. Host Dr. Sam Manger, talks with guest Dr. Kim Hurst about beating the bias. Dr. Kim Hurst is a Senior Psychologist & clinical lead at Robina Private Hospital’s Eating Disorder Service. Kim is passionate about eating disorder treatment and service delivery and has specialised in child, adolescent and young adult eating disorder treatment and research, working across a range of treatment settings for over 15 years. 

Measuring growth in children is an important part of a health check-up, as it enables early recognition of unhealthy weight trends.  It can also enable regular discussions around healthy behaviours.  Feeling comfortable to integrate routine growth assessments into clinical practice can feel routine, but what do you do with these measurements once you have them? In this episode, host Dr. Sam Manger and guest Dr. Danielle Carter discuss how to navigate those conversations with empathy and practical solutions. Dr. Danielle Carter is a GP with an interest in Public Health and was the Founding President of a grassroots health promotion charity in Toowoomba called Flourish PYO. Danielle is passionate about preventative health and lifestyle modification, Indigenous health, and public health initiatives focussing on nutrition and food security. She has now relocated to sunny Townsville and enjoys organic food growing, running, and spending time with her family. 

Growth charts, BMI charts, z-scores and WHO versus CDC.  Knowing which growth chart to use can be confusing.  In this episode, host Dr. Sam Manger and guest Dr. Kristie Bell deep dive into what we should be using to guide our growth assessments with kids and how we can start to recognise and discuss unhealthy weight trends early.  Dr. Kristie Bell is a clinical Dietitian with over 24 years of experience working with children and families. With a PhD in nutrition from the University of Queensland, Dr. Bell’s research has focused on the impact of nutrition on growth and health outcomes for children with complex care needs. She is currently the Director of Dietetics and foods Services at the QCHhS where she leads a team of dietetics and dietetic assistants to lead life changing care for people and young people. 

Clinicians Guide to Healthy Kids is an initiative of Health and Wellbeing Queensland. This podcast series aims to equip healthcare professionals with expert insights, empowering them to collaborate with children and their families to build healthy habits together. The podcast series explores a diverse range of topics including sleep, nutrition, physical activity, healthy growth and disordered eating in children. By offering practical advice tailored for health professionals, this podcast series strives to promote the overall health and wellbeing of children and their families.  Throughout the season we will engage in informative discussions with Queensland health experts to learn about strategies to approach prevention in clinical care.