“Be the Reason Kids Greaux Healthy” Connects Experts to Advance Childhood Obesity Care
September 25, 2026 · Baton Rouge, LA
Annual conference connects research, healthcare and community strategies to address childhood obesity
Around 200 healthcare professionals, researchers, educators and community leaders gathered Sept. 24 at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center for the 2026 Childhood Obesity Conference, “Be the Reason Kids Greaux Healthy.”
Presented by Pennington Biomedical’s Greaux Healthy initiative, the conference brought together professionals from across Louisiana and beyond to explore evidence-based approaches to preventing and treating childhood obesity and improving health outcomes for children and families.
Pennington Biomedical first hosted its Childhood Obesity Conference in 2008, creating a forum for healthcare and public health professionals to share knowledge and advance approaches to childhood obesity prevention and treatment. The 2026 conference continued that tradition while focusing on translating research and evidence into practical strategies that can be implemented in healthcare, schools, communities and other settings.
The conference featured presentations from national and local experts on a range of topics related to pediatric obesity prevention and treatment.
The keynote address, “The Future of Pediatric Obesity Care – From Evidence to Scalable Impact,” was delivered by Dr. Dedrick Moulton, LSU Health Sciences Center Department Chair of Pediatrics and Pediatrician-in-Chief at Manning Family Children’s.
Additional sessions explored rural health innovation in pediatric obesity care, preventing childhood obesity before it begins, helping children eat real food and move more, and emerging approaches to pediatric obesity prevention and treatment.
The conference also featured poster presentations highlighting research and community-based initiatives related to childhood obesity prevention and treatment. The presentations provided an opportunity for researchers, healthcare professionals, students and other participants to share their work and connect with colleagues from across disciplines.
A special congratulations goes out to Dr. Katie Queen for receiving the Partner of the Year award for her contributions to Greaux Healthy and helping to combate childhood obesity in Louisiana.
The 2026 Childhood Obesity Conference was sponsored by FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake, Louisiana Blue, Aetna Better Health of Louisiana, Louisiana Public Facilities Authority (LPFA) and Access Health Louisiana.
Through Greaux Healthy, Pennington Biomedical works to translate research into practical approaches that support healthier children, families and communities. The initiative brings together researchers, healthcare professionals, educators and community partners to address childhood obesity and promote healthy behaviors across Louisiana.
For more information contact:
Ernie Ballard, Senior Director of Communications & Marketing, ernie.ballard@pbrc.edu, 225-263-2677.
About LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center
The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is at the forefront of medical discovery as it relates to understanding the triggers of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia. Pennington Biomedical has the vision to lead the world in promoting nutrition and metabolic health and eliminating metabolic disease through scientific discoveries that create solutions from cells to society. The Center conducts basic, clinical and population research, and is a campus in the LSU System.
The research enterprise at Pennington Biomedical includes over 600 employees within a network of 44 clinics and research laboratories, and 16 highly specialized core service facilities. Its scientists and physician-scientists are supported by research trainees, lab technicians, nurses, dietitians and other support personnel. Pennington Biomedical is a globally recognized state-of-the-art research institution in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For more information, see www.pbrc.edu.
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
6400 Perkins Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
