Other requests may be made by a candidate who has made no impression on you, or only a negative one. In this case, consider the candidate’s potential and future goals, and be fair in your evaluation. Sending a negative letter or a generic positive letter for individuals you barely know is not helpful to the selection committee and can backfire for the candidate. It can also, in some instances, backfire for you if a colleague accepts a candidate based on your generic positive letter when you did not necessarily fully support that individual. For instance, letter writers sometimes stretch the truth to make a candidate sound better than they really are, thinking it is helpful. If you do not know the applicant well enough or feel that you cannot be supportive, you are not in a strong position to write the recommendation letter and should decline the request, being open about why you are declining to write the letter. Also, be selective about writing on behalf of colleagues who may be in one’s field but whose work is not well known to you. If you have to read the candidate’s curriculum vitae to find out who they are and what they have done, then you may not be qualified to write the letter [ 8 ].
When declining a request to provide a letter of support, it is important to explain your reasoning to the candidate and suggest how they might improve their prospects for the future [ 8 ]. If the candidate is having a similar problem with other mentors, try to help them identify a more appropriate referee or to explore whether they are making an appropriate application in the first place. Suggest constructive steps to improve relationships with mentors to identify individuals to provide letters in the future. Most importantly, do not let the candidate assume that all opportunities for obtaining supportive letters of recommendation have been permanently lost. Emphasize the candidate’s strengths by asking them to share a favourite paper, assignment, project, or other positive experience that may have taken place outside of your class or lab, to help you identify their strengths. Finally, discuss with the candidate their career goals to help them realize what they need to focus on to become more competitive or steer them in a different career direction. This conversation can mark an important step and become a great interaction and mentoring opportunity for ECRs.
Once you decide to write a recommendation letter, it is important to know what type and level of opportunity the candidate is applying for, as this will determine what should be discussed in the letter ( Figure 1 ). You should carefully read the opportunity posting description and/or ask the candidate to summarize the main requirements and let you know the specific points that they find important to highlight. Pay close attention to the language of the position announcement to fully address the requested information and tailor the letter to the specific needs of the institution, employer, or funding organisation. In some instances, a waiver form or an option indicating whether or not the candidate waives their right to see the recommendation document is provided. If the candidate queries a waiver decision, note that often referees are not allowed to send a letter that is not confidential and that there may be important benefits to maintaining the confidentiality of letters (see Table 1 ). Specifically, selection committees may view confidential letters as having greater credibility and, value and some letter writers may feel less reserved in their praise of candidates in confidential letters.
To acquire appropriate information about the candidate, one or more of the following documents may be valuable: a resume or curriculum vitae (CV), a publication or a manuscript, an assignment or exam written for your course, a copy of the application essay or personal statement, a transcript of academic records, a summary of current work, and specific recommendation forms or questionnaires (if provided) [ 9 ]. Alternatively, you may ask the candidate to complete a questionnaire asking for necessary information and supporting documents [ 10 ]. Examine the candidate’s CV and provide important context to the achievements listed therein. Tailor the letter for the opportunity using these documents as a guide, but do not repeat their contents as the candidate likely submits them separately. Even the most articulate of candidates may find it difficult to describe their qualities in writing [ 11 ]. Furthermore, a request may be made by a person who has made a good impression, but for whom you lack significant information to be able to write a strong letter. Thus, even if you know a candidate well, schedule a brief in-person, phone, or virtual meeting with them to 1) fill in gaps in your knowledge about them, 2) understand why they are applying for this particular opportunity, 3) help bring their past accomplishments into sharper focus, and 4) discuss their short- and long-term goals and how their current studies or research activities relate to the opportunity they are applying for and to these goals. Other key information to gather from the applicant includes the date on which the recommendation letter is due, as well as details on how to submit it.
For most applications (for both academic and non-academic opportunities), a letter of recommendation will need to cover both scholarly capabilities and achievements as well as a broader range of personal qualities and experiences beyond the classroom or the laboratory. This includes extracurricular experiences and traits such as creativity, tenacity, and collegiality. If necessary, discuss with the candidate what they would like to see additionally highlighted. As another example of matching a letter with its purpose, a letter for a fellowship application for a specific project should discuss the validity and feasibility of the project, as well as the candidate’s qualifications for fulfilling the project.
Another factor that greatly facilitates letter writing is drafting one as soon as possible after you have taught or trained the candidate, while your impressions are still clear. You might consider encouraging the candidate to make their requests early [ 11 ]. These letters can be placed in the candidate’s portfolio and maintained in your own files for future reference. If you are writing a letter in response to a request, start drafting it well in advance and anticipate multiple rounds of revision before submission. Once you have been asked by a candidate to write a letter, that candidate may return frequently, over a number of years, for additional letters. Therefore, maintain a digital copy of the letter for your records and for potential future applications for the same candidate.
In the opening, you should introduce yourself and the candidate, state your qualifications and explain how you became acquainted with the candidate, as well as the purpose of the letter, and a summary of your recommendation ( Table 2 ). To explain your relationship with the candidate you should fully describe the capacity in which you know them: the type of experience, the period during which you worked with the candidate, and any special assignments or responsibilities that the candidate performed under your guidance. For instance, the letter may start with: “This candidate completed their postdoctoral training under my supervision. I am pleased to be able to provide my strongest support in recommending them for this opportunity.” You may also consider ranking the candidate among similar level candidates within the opening section to give an immediate impression of your thoughts. Depending on the position, ranking the candidate may also be desired by selection committees, and may be requested within the letter. For instance, the recommendation form or instructions may ask you to rank the candidate in the top 1%, 5%, 10%, etc., of applicants. You could write "the student is in the top 5% of undergraduate students I have trained" Or “There are currently x graduate students in our department and I rank this candidate at the top 1%. Their experimental/computational skills are the best I have ever had in my own laboratory.”. Do not forget to include with whom or what group you are comparing the individual. If you have not yet trained many individuals in your own laboratory, include those that you trained previously as a researcher as reference. Having concentrated on the candidate’s individual or unique strengths, you might find it difficult to provide a ranking. This is less of an issue if a candidate is unambiguously among the top 10% that you have mentored but not all who come to you for a letter will fall within that small group. If you wish to offer a comparative perspective, you might more readily be able to do so in more specific areas such as whether the candidate is one of the most articulate, original, clear-thinking, motivated, or intellectually curious.
Key do’s and don’ts when writing a letter of recommendation
Theme | Do | Do Not |
---|---|---|
Describe all scholarly outputs in equal weight e.g., preprints, protocols, engineered animal models, computer models, software among others. Describe all scholarly and non-scholarly outputs in equal weight e.g., teaching, service, advocacy efforts. Promote the whole human candidate. | Do not ignore the candidate’s non-peer reviewed (e.g. preprints, data or code or protocols submitted to repositories) or in-press outputs. | |
Describe the candidate’s preprints and journal publications in terms of their quality and impact on your work and the field. | Do not judge papers by where they are published. It is the quality of the science & the reputation of the researcher, not the journal’s brand, that matters. Avoid paying excessive attention to how many papers the candidate has published in the family of journals. Refrain from boasting the journals impact factor (JIF) or journal name in the letter as publication in glamour journals does not validate the candidate’s research or guarantee a promising & successful career path. | |
Use agentic (e.g., confident, ambitious, independent) and standout (e.g., best, ideal) adjectives for all candidates, focusing on relevant accomplishments for the opportunity. | Avoid communal words (e.g., kind, affectionate, agreeable) that are more often used for women. Avoid using doubt raising phrases such as “He might be good”, or “she may have potential”, “she has a difficult personality”. | |
Make a criticism sound less damaging. e.g., “When candidate started at my laboratory, their skills were poorly developed, but they have worked diligently to improve them and have taken major steps in that direction.” | Do not leave out important, relevant information even if it may be perceived as negative, put a positive spin on it. | |
Do explain how the candidate’s current and prior work contributes to your laboratories research efforts. | Do not compare the candidate as being as good as person and , but not as good as person . This type of information creates subjectivity. | |
Include context for your scientific field and how the candidate’s research fits into and advances the field. | Do not merely describe mastery of techniques. Pay attention to the candidate’s wider comprehension of the field and their impact on their discipline. Avoid too much jargon and field-specific language, as often a broad audience will be reading the letter. |
The body of the recommendation letter should provide specific information about the candidate and address any questions or requirements posed in the selection criteria (see sections above). Some applications may ask for comments on a candidate’s scholarly performance. Refer the reader to the candidate’s CV and/or transcript if necessary but don’t report grades, unless to make an exceptional point (such as they were the only student to earn a top grade in your class). The body of the recommendation letter will contain the majority of the information including specific examples, relevant candidate qualities, and your experiences with the candidate, and therefore the majority of this manuscript focuses on what to include in this section.
The closing paragraph of the letter should briefly 1) summarize your opinions about the candidate, 2) clearly state your recommendation and strong support of the candidate for the opportunity that they are seeking, and 3) offer the recipient of the letter the option to contact you if they need any further information. Make sure to provide your email address and phone number in case the recipient has additional questions. The overall tone of the letter can represent your confidence in the applicant. If opportunity criteria are detailed and the candidate meets these criteria completely, include this information. Do not focus on what you may perceive as a candidate’s negative qualities as such tone may do more harm than intended ( Table 2 ). Finally, be aware of the Forer’s effect, a cognitive error, in which a very general description, that fits almost everyone, is used to describe a person [ 20 ]. Such generalizations can be harmful, as they provide the candidate the impression that they received a valuable, positive letter, but for the committee, who receive hundreds of similar letters, this is non-informative and unhelpful to the application.
In discussing a candidate’s qualities and character, proceed in ways similar to those used for intellectual evaluation ( Box 1 ). Information to specifically highlight may include personal characteristics, such as integrity, resilience, poise, confidence, dependability, patience, creativity, enthusiasm, teaching capabilities, problem-solving abilities, ability to manage trainees and to work with colleagues, curriculum development skills, collaboration skills, experience in grant writing, ability to organize events and demonstrate abilities in project management, and ability to troubleshoot (see section “ Use ethical principles, positive and inclusive language within the letter ” below for tips on using inclusive terminology). The candidate may also have a specific area of knowledge, strengths and experiences worth highlighting such as strong communication skills, expertise in a particular scientific subfield, an undergraduate degree with a double major, relevant work or research experience, coaching, and/or other extracurricular activities. Consider whether the candidate has taught others in the lab, or shown particular motivation and commitment in their work. When writing letters for mentees who are applying for (non-)academic jobs or admission to academic institutions, do not merely emphasize their strengths, achievements and potential, but also try to 1) convey a sense of what makes them a potential fit for that position or funding opportunity, and 2) fill in the gaps. Gaps may include an insufficient description of the candidate’s strengths or research given restrictions on document length. Importantly, to identify these gaps, one must have carefully reviewed both the opportunity posting as well as the application materials (see Box 1 , Table 2 ).
When writing letters to nominate colleagues for promotion or awards, place stronger emphasis on their achievements and contributions to a field, or on their track record of teaching, mentorship and service, to aid the judging panel. In addition to describing the candidate as they are right now, you can discuss the development the person has undergone (for specific examples see Table 2 ).
A letter of recommendation can also explain weaknesses or ambiguities in the candidate’s record. If appropriate – and only after consulting the candidate - you may wish to mention a family illness, financial hardship, or other factors that may have resulted in a setback or specific portion of the candidate’s application perceived weakness (such as in the candidate’s transcript). For example, sometimes there are acceptable circumstances for a gap in a candidate’s publication record—perhaps a medical condition or a family situation kept them out of the lab for a period of time. Importantly, being upfront about why there is a perceived gap or blemish in the application package can strengthen the application. Put a positive spin on the perceived negatives using terms such as “has taken steps to address gaps in knowledge”, “has worked hard to,” and “made great progress in” (see Table 2 ).
Describe a candidate’s intellectual capabilities in terms that reflect their distinctive or individual strengths and be prepared to support your judgment with field-specific content [ 12 ] and concrete examples. These can significantly strengthen a letter and will demonstrate a strong relationship between you and the candidate. Describe what the candidate’s strengths are, moments they have overcome adversity, what is important to them. For example: “candidate x is exceptionally intelligent. They proved to be a very quick study, learning the elements of research design and technique y in record time. Furthermore, their questions are always thoughtful and penetrating.”. Mention the candidate’s diligence, work ethic, and curiosity and do not merely state that “the applicant is strong” without specific examples. Describing improvements to candidate skills over time can help highlight their work ethic, resolve, and achievements over time. However, do not belabor a potential lower starting point.
Provide specific examples for when leadership was demonstrated, but do not include leadership qualities if they have not been demonstrated. For example, describe the candidate’s qualities such as independence, critical thinking, creativity, resilience, ability to design and interpret experiments; ability to identify the next steps and generate interesting questions or ideas, and what you were especially impressed by. Do not generically list the applicant as independent with no support or if this statement would be untrue.
Do not qualify candidate qualities based on a stereotype for specific identities. Quantify the candidate’s abilities, especially with respect to other scientists who have achieved success in the field and who the letter reader might know. Many letter writers rank applicants according to their own measure of what makes a good researcher, graduate trainee, or technician according to a combination of research strengths, leadership skills, writing ability, oral communication, teaching ability, and collegiality. Describe what the role of the candidate was in their project and eventual publication and do not assume letter readers will identify this information on their own (see Table 2 ). Including a description about roles and responsibilities can help to quantify a candidate’s contribution to the listed work. For example, “The candidate is the first author of the paper, designed, and led the project.”. Even the best mentor can overlook important points, especially since mentors typically have multiple mentees under their supervision. Thus, it can help to ask the candidate what they consider their strengths or traits, and accomplishments of which they are proud.
If you lack sufficient information to answer certain questions about the candidate, it is best to maintain the integrity and credibility of your letter - as the recommending person, you are potentially writing to a colleague and/or someone who will be impacted by your letter; therefore, honesty is key above all. Avoid the misconception that the more superlatives you use, the stronger the letter. Heavy use of generic phrases or clichés is unhelpful. Your letter can only be effective if it contains substantive information about the specific candidate and their qualifications for the opportunity. A recommendation that paints an unrealistic picture of a candidate may be discounted. All information in a letter of recommendation should be, to the best of your knowledge, accurate. Therefore, present the person truthfully but positively. Write strongly and specifically about someone who is truly excellent (explicitly describe how and why they are special). Write a balanced letter without overhyping the candidate as it will not help them.
Beware of what you leave out of the recommendation letter. For most opportunities, there are expectations of what should be included in a letter, and therefore what is not said can be just as important as what is said. Importantly, do not assume all the same information is necessary for every opportunity. In general, you should include the information stated above, covering how you know the candidate, their strengths, specific examples to support your statements, and how the candidate fits well for the opportunity. For example, if you don’t mention a candidate’s leadership skills or their ability to work well with others, the letter reader may wonder why, if the opportunity requires these skills. Always remember that opportunities are sought by many individuals, so evaluators may look for any reason to disregard an application, such as a letter not following instructions or discussing the appropriate material. Also promote the candidate by discussing all of their scholarly and non-scholarly efforts, including non-peer reviewed research outputs such as preprints, academic and non-academic service, and advocacy work which are among their broader impact and all indicative of valuable leadership qualities for both academic and non-academic environments ( Table 2 ).
Provide an even-handed judgment of scholarly impact, be fair and describe accomplishments fairly by writing a balanced letter about the candidate’s attributes that is thoughtful and personal (see Table 2 ). Submitting a generic, hastily written recommendation letter is not helpful and can backfire for both the candidate and the letter writer as you will often leave out important information for the specific opportunity; thus, allow for sufficient time and effort on each candidate/application.
Making the letter memorable by adding content that the reader will remember, such as an unusual anecdote, or use of a unique term to describe the candidate. This will help the application stand out from all the others. Tailor the letter to the candidate, including as much unique, relevant information as possible and avoid including personal information unless the candidate gives consent. Provide meaningful examples of achievements and provide stories or anecdotes that illustrate the candidate’s strengths. Say what the candidate specifically did to give you that impression ( Box 1 ). Don’t merely praise the candidate using generalities such as “candidate x is a quick learner”.
Gender affects scientific careers. Avoid providing information that is irrelevant to the opportunity, such as ethnicity, age, hobbies, or marital status. Write about professional attributes that pertain to the application. However, there are qualities that might be important to the job or funding opportunity. For instance, personal information may illustrate the ability to persevere and overcome adversity - qualities that are helpful in academia and other career paths. It is critical to pay attention to biases and choices of words while writing the letter [ 13 , 14 ]. Advocacy bias (a letter writer is more likely to write a strong letter for someone similar to themselves) has been identified as an issue in academic environments [ 3 ]. Studies have also shown that there are often differences in the choice of words used in letters for male and female scientists [ 3 , 5 ]. For instance, letters for women have been found not to contain much specific and descriptive language. Descriptions often pay greater attention to the personal lives or personal characteristics of women than men, focusing on items that have little relevance in a letter of recommendation. When writing recommendation letters, employers have a tendency to focus on scholarly capabilities in male candidates and personality features in female candidates; for instance, female candidates tend to be depicted in letters as teachers and trainees, whereas male candidates are described as researchers and professionals [ 15 ]. Also, letters towards males often contain more standout words such as “superb”, “outstanding”, and “excellent”. Furthermore, letters for women had been found to contain more doubt-raising statements, including negative or unexplained comments [ 3 , 15 , 16 ]. This is discriminative towards women and gives a less clear picture of women as professionals. Keep the letter gender neutral. Do not write statements such as “candidate x is a kind woman” or “candidate y is a fantastic female scientist” as these have no bearing on whether someone will do well in graduate school or in a job. One way to reduce gender bias is by checking your reference letter with a gender bias calculator [ 17 , 18 ]. Test for gender biases by writing a letter of recommendation for any candidate, male or female, and then switch all the pronouns to the opposite gender. Read the letter over and ask yourself if it sounds odd. If it does, you should probably change the terms used [ 17 ]. Other biases also exist, and so while gender bias has been the most heavily investigated, bias based on other identities (race, nationality, ethnicity, among others) should also be examined and assessed in advance and during letter writing to ensure accurate and appropriate recommendations for all.
The recommendation letter should be written using language that is straightforward and concise [ 19 ]. Avoid using jargon or language that is too general or effusive ( Table 1 ). Formats and styles of single and co-signed letters are also important considerations. In some applications, the format is determined by the application portal itself in which the recommender is asked to answer a series of questions. If these questions do not cover everything you would like to address you could inquire if there is the option to provide a letter as well. Conversely, if the recommendation questionnaire asks for information that you cannot provide, it is best to explicitly mention this in writing. The care with which you write the letter will also influence the effectiveness of the letter - writing eloquently is another way of registering your support for the candidate. Letters longer than two pages can be counterproductive, and off-putting as reviewers normally have a large quantity of letters to read. In special cases, longer letters may be more favourable depending on the opportunity. On the other hand, anything shorter than a page may imply a lack of interest or knowledge, or a negative impression on the candidate. In letter format, write at least 3-4 paragraphs. It is important to note that letters from different sectors, such as academia versus industry tend to be of different lengths. Ensure that your letter is received by the requested method (mail or e-mail) and deadline, as a late submission could be detrimental for the candidate. Write and sign the letter on your department letterhead which is a further form of identification.
Recommendation letters can serve as important tools for assessing ECRs as potential candidates for a job, course, or funding opportunity. Candidates need to request letters in advance and provide relevant information for the recommender. Readers at selection committees need to examine the letter objectively with an eye for information on the quality of the candidate’s scholarly and non-scholarly endeavours and scientific traits. As a referee, it is important that you are positive, candid, yet helpful, as you work with the candidate in drafting a letter in their support. In writing a recommendation letter, summarize your thoughts on the candidate and emphasize your strong support for their candidacy. A successful letter communicates the writer’s enthusiasm for an individual, but does so realistically, sympathetically, and with concrete examples to support the writer’s associations. Writing recommendation letters can help mentors examine their interactions with their mentee and know them in different light. Express your willingness to help further by concluding the letter with an offer to be contacted should the reader need more information. Remember that a letter writer’s judgment and credibility are at stake thus do spend the time and effort to present yourself as a recommender in the best light and help ECRs in their career path.
S.J.H. was supported by the National Institutes of Health grant R35GM133732. A.P.S. was partially supported by the NARSAD Young Investigator Grant 27705.
ECR | Early-Career Researcher |
CV | Curriculum Vitae |
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Task forces calls for behavioral weight management strategies.
Aug. 9, 2024, Cindy Borgmeyer — According to recent CDC figures , nearly one in five U.S. children and teens ages 2−19 years has obesity, defined as a body mass index at or above the 95th percentile for their age and sex. The prevalence of high BMI increases with age and is higher among Hispanic/Latino, Native American/Alaska Native, and non-Hispanic Black children and adolescents. Children from lower-income families also are at increased risk.
It is against this backdrop that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has finalized a recommendation calling for physicians to “provide or refer children and adolescents 6 years or older with a high body mass index (≥95th percentile for age and sex) to comprehensive, intensive behavioral interventions.” This replaces the task force’s 2017 recommendation on screening for obesity in children and adolescents and is a grade “B” recommendation .
As AAFP News reported in January , to update its previous recommendation, the USPSTF commissioned a systematic evidence review on interventions (behavioral counseling and pharmacotherapy) for weight loss or weight management that can be provided in or referred from a primary care setting. Fifty-eight randomized clinical trials were included in the review.
Of the 50 RCTs that examined solely behavioral interventions, most did not report on race or ethnicity or included predominantly white study participants. RCTs conducted in the United States (n=28) demonstrated comparatively greater study population diversity, but even those trials still mostly involved only white (52.4%), Black (20.5%), and Hispanic/Latino (25%) study participants, with few Asian American or Native American/Alaska Native participants. In total, the RCTs included nearly 8,800 children and adolescents ages 2−19 years, with a mean BMI percentile of 93.
Eight RCTs involving 1,345 participants assessed pharmacotherapy interventions (i.e., liraglutide, semaglutide, orlistat, and phentermine/topiramate). Five of them also included behavioral counseling components. Most study participants were age 12 or older or 14 or older; one study included children ages 7−11 years. Only a single trial per medication had a treatment duration of 12 months or longer.
Story Highlights
Overall, structured behavioral weight management interventions were associated with small reductions in BMI and modest reductions in weight after six to 12 months, with interventions that included ≥26 contact hours and offered physical activity sessions showing the greatest effects. Although few studies found significant improvements in quality of life, pooled analyses found small increases in total and physical quality of life after six to 12 months. No effect on other psychosocial outcomes was seen. Pooled effects of behavioral weight management interventions showed no impact on measures of cholesterol, but slight improvements in blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose were seen in trials offering ≥26 hours of contact, most of which also offered physical activity sessions. Trials that assessed potential harms of behavioral interventions found no increased risk of any adverse event or serious adverse events, including disordered eating, or decreases in self-esteem or body satisfaction.
“We know that there are proven strategies to help kids who have a high BMI achieve a healthy weight,” said USPSTF Chair Wanda Nicholson, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., in an ACIP news bulletin . “These interventions work best when both kids and parents are engaged, so it is important that health care professionals provide support in identifying which counseling interventions are available, accessible and a good fit for the family.”
Of medications evaluated, only semaglutide showed improvement in weight-related quality of life. Pharmacotherapy overall was associated with larger mean BMI reductions compared to placebo in most trials, with semaglutide and phentermine/topiramate demonstrating the largest effects. Still, the task force found the totality of the evidence to be inadequate. Furthermore, the limited evidence on weight maintenance after stopping pharmacotherapy suggests that weight rebound starts soon after discontinuation, implying that weight loss can only be maintained with long-term use. However, evidence regarding the harms of long-term medication use is absent. Finally, pharmacotherapy was associated with moderate gastrointestinal harms. Based on these factors, the USPSTF encourages clinicians to promote behavioral interventions as the primary effective intervention for weight loss in children and adolescents.
Further research is needed in several areas, said the task force, including long-term (≥two years) health outcomes and benefits of behavioral and pharmacotherapy interventions, long-term psychosocial harms of pharmacotherapy, weight loss maintenance after behavioral interventions and assessment of long-term (>five years) benefits and harms, and best practices for discussing weight with children and families.
AAFP News asked obesity medicine expert Catherine Varney, D.O., FAAFP, FOMA, DABOM, for her thoughts on the USPSTF recommendation and its implementation. Varney is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and obesity medicine director at UVA Health. She serves as the AAFP liaison to the STOP (Strategies to Overcome and Prevent) Obesity Alliance and is a co-author of the Academy’s recently released practice manual, Addressing Health Disparities for Patients With Obesity .
Varney largely agreed with the task force’s recommended behavioral approach to caring for these patients, but she cautioned against dismissing pharmacotherapy out of hand.
“Behavioral therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and structured lifestyle interventions, have demonstrated substantial benefits in promoting sustained weight loss and improving overall health outcomes,” she said. “However, it is important to recognize that implementing behavioral therapy can be labor- and resource-intensive. These programs often require trained professionals, time-intensive sessions, and continuous follow-up, which can pose logistical and financial challenges.”
Many physicians who care for pediatric patients are ill prepared to provide this counseling because they lack the education and training to do so, Varney explained, adding that a majority of physicians receive 10 hours or less of training on this topic during medical school and residency.
It’s also important not to minimize what evidence exists for this population showing that weight regain is common after weight loss with behavioral interventions, she added. That, combined with clear evidence of the negative impact of untreated obesity, with its attendant increased risks for diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers, should drive home the need for long-term studies to evaluate these issues.
According to the USPSTF, no evidence demonstrated the relative benefits of specific intervention components. Rather, the task force noted that “effective interventions commonly included supervised physical activity sessions; provided information about healthy eating, safe exercising, and reading food labels; and incorporated behavior change techniques such as problem solving, monitoring diet and physical activity behaviors, and goal setting.” Interventions may include activities targeting both the parent and child (separately, together or both) and can be offered in group settings as well as in individual or single-family sessions. To be effective, they must involve at least 26 contact hours with a health care professional — or team of professionals — over the course of up to one year. In addition to physicians, disciplines involved may include exercise physiologists or physical therapists, dietitians or diet assistants, psychologists or social workers, or other behavioral specialists.
The Community Preventive Services Task Force has evaluated multiple evidence-based interventions aimed at curbing obesity in both youth and adults in community, school and other settings and recommends a range of options. Examples include behavioral interventions aimed at cutting recreational screen time , digital health interventions for teens and multicomponent interventions to increase availability of healthier foods and beverages in schools .
Other helpful resources include HHS’ Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans , which provides recommendations for physical activities to help promote health and reduce chronic disease risk for Americans ages 3 years and older, and obesity-related guidance and tools from the CDC.
The AAFP offers extensive clinical guidance and practice resources on obesity and healthy lifestyle, as well as CME activities such as Obesity CME for the Family Physician and Practical Approaches to Improving Obesity Care . American Family Physician also has compiled a collection of its best content on the topic. Finally, familydoctor.org offers information on topics such as dealing with weight issues in children , developing healthy eating habits , how to avoid overeating in children and teens , and helping children achieve a healthy weight .
Another problematic issue with this recommendation, according to Varney: There simply are not enough physicians and other health care professionals to refer to.
“As of April 2024,” she explained, “the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that there were 73,860 dietitians and nutritionists in the United States. That means that there is one registered dietitian for every 200 children with elevated BMI. This doesn’t factor in a couple of things; it doesn’t account for the nearly 100 million adults with obesity in the U.S. who may need these services as well — that would change the ratio to one RD for every 1,553 adults and children.” It also doesn’t address the challenges of providing access to vulnerable populations, such as rural patients, Varney added.
Still, some options to tackle these shortfalls do exist, she contended. “Family medicine physicians can get more training and education on this topic through the AAFP, the Obesity Medicine Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics . They can advocate for their clinic or health system to add this service for their patients.”
If funding is lacking, Varney suggested applying for grants or starting slow by bringing in nutritional education one time per week or month. Even gathering and distributing evidence-based handouts in the office can help provide brief interventions.
Copyright © 2024 American Academy of Family Physicians. All Rights Reserved.
Find out more about the recommendations from the Expert Advisory Committee for a more connected system.
In July 2023, the Victorian Department of Health commissioned an Expert Advisory Committee (the Committee) to examine the design and governance of Victoria's health services system. Over 10 months they explored many of the challenges experienced by patients, communities and our health workforce within the system.
The Committee have now developed the Health Services Plan, which provides a number of recommendations for a more connected system that delivers the right care, at the right time, in the right place, for all Victorians. The Plan is outlined through 3 key pillars of reform:
The Government will accept 21 recommendations in full, and accept in principle 5 recommendations:
The Government does not accept recommendation 7.1 relating to directed consolidations of health services outlined in the report.
Further work will now be undertaken on the accepted recommendations.
Reviewed 08 August 2024
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August 9, 2024 | Katherine C. Rohn, Adam M. McCready, Kelly Farrell, and Ayaa Elgoharry
Researchers with the Neag School’s Center for Education Policy Analysis, Research, and Evaluation (CEPARE) prepared the following research brief during Phase 1 of their Social Media and Digital Literacy Study
"It is vital then that schools — where children spend most of their time outside of the home — consider their role in addressing healthy social media and technology usage," say researchers from the UConn Neag School of Education's Center for Education Policy Analysis, Research, and Evaluation. (iStock)
Editor’s Note: Katherine C. Rohn, Adam M. McCready, Kelly Farrell, and Ayaa Elgoharry prepared the following rapid research brief (unabridged version) with the Center for Education Policy Analysis, Research, and Evaluation (CEPARE). The full brief summarizes key findings from an analysis of 45 social media and technology policies from 32 Connecticut school districts that operate middle and high schools. It concludes with recommendations aimed at helping constituents develop social media and technology policies that reflect the current state of digital media in adolescent lives and center student mental health. Below is an executive summary.
Adolescent digital technology usage has become nearly ubiquitous; students rely on technology for learning and social connection. Simultaneously, reports of mental health issues (e.g. anxiety) among adolescents have increased worldwide (U.S. Center for Disease Control, 2023; World Health Organization, 2021). There is a growing public narrative that digital technology use is associated with problematic mental health outcomes for adolescents (Odgers & Jensen, 2020; Twenge et al., 2018). However, the relationship between technology use and mental health is complex and research on this topic is in fact mixed (Odgers & Jensen, 2020). The effects of social media usage can vary based on youths’ individual developmental capacities, risk factors, and existing mental illness diagnoses (APA, 2023).
It is vital then that schools — where children spend most of their time outside of the home — consider their role in addressing healthy social media and technology usage. School district social media and technology use policies can shape school-level decision-making, curriculum implementation, and teaching practices, which directly influence students’ well-being (Lenhoff et al., 2022). Unfortunately, technology and social networking platforms are evolving faster than schools develop their policies. The original draft of Senate Bill 14, Section 4, proposed by Gov. Ned Lamont earlier this year, included language to address student cellphone use in Connecticut public schools (Connecticut Education Association [CEA], 2024). While this section was not included in the final bill, it reflects increasing interest in investing in technology and social media policy reforms and effective interventions within schools.
Digital technology and social media are essential to students’ lives and learning. While concerns about adolescent social media use and mental health persist, and school district policies likely influence student well-being, many current policies fail to adequately address social media, its associations with mental health, and potential educational interventions that can help mitigate negative effects and promote positive ones. Advances in technology have outpaced both research and school policy. Recommendations included in this brief provide guidance to school district leaders and others attempting to navigate this rapidly changing landscape that may affect student mental health well-being.
While concerns about adolescent social media use and mental health persist, many current policies fail to adequately address social media, its associations with mental health, and potential educational interventions that can help mitigate negative effects and promote positive ones. — Katherine C. Rohn, Adam M. McCready, Kelly Farrell, and Ayaa Elgoharry
Finding 1: Policies made limited, vague, outdated, or no references to social media, indicating that they have not kept up with the rapid changes of adolescent digital media use.
Finding 2: Policies typically framed technology use as being essential for education while conversely conveying that students’ use of technology was a privilege that students could lose altogether.
Recommendation 1: Revise and update school district policies to explicitly address evolving social media and technology platforms and the current role that digital media plays in students’ lives.
Finding 3: Policies pledged to educate students about safe and healthy digital technology use, but specific commitments and recommendations to execute this objective were limited.
Recommendation 2: Include proactive guidance on how school boards and schools will educate students and adults on safe and healthy technology and social media use.
Finding 4: Policies rarely addressed student mental health, instead using terms like “safe environments” or including references to protecting students from harmful content and behaviors (e.g. cyberbullying, pornography, or obscenities) as proxies for mental health.
Recommendation 3: Reframe school district technology and social media policies to focus on adolescent mental health.
Note: This CEPARE brief was produced during Phase 1 of the Social Media and Digital Literacy Study with funding supplied by the University of Connecticut. Part 2 of the Social Media and Digital Literacy Study is funded by the Center for Connecticut Education Research Collaboration (CCERC).
August 9, 2024
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Recommendations for future research should be: Concrete and specific. Supported with a clear rationale. Directly connected to your research. Overall, strive to highlight ways other researchers can reproduce or replicate your results to draw further conclusions, and suggest different directions that future research can take, if applicable.
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Editor's Note: Katherine C. Rohn, Adam M. McCready, Kelly Farrell, and Ayaa Elgoharry prepared the following rapid research brief (unabridged version) with the Center for Education Policy Analysis, Research, and Evaluation (CEPARE). The full brief summarizes key findings from an analysis of 45 social media and technology policies from 32 Connecticut school districts that operate middle and ...