Background: In 1975, 1% of youth were obese whereas by 2024, 25.1% of children aged 5-15 in Australia were found to be overweight or obese1. Youth obesity increases risk of multiple co-morbidities by 22-104%, but improving BMI by late adolescence can reduce risk of Type 2 diabetes2,3.
Aim: To assess the impact of Obesity on Tertiary Paediatric Services in Western Australia and the complexity of the patient cohort over a 4-year period.
Methods: A REDCap survey was distributed to Heads of Service across medical and allied health specialities at Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) in May 2026. Data relating to the patient cohort of the Healthy Weight Service (HWS) at PCH was collected retrospectively (June 2022 – June 2026).
Results: The survey was sent to 40 specialist areas with 46 returned surveys. Two thirds of respondents (65%) reported up to 25% of their caseload being affected by obesity. Nineteen percent reported 20% of their new referrals were received on account of an obesity-related co-morbidity. Twenty-eight percent find their service unable to keep up with the demand related to weight-related patient complexity. Over half (56%) noted increasing frequency of weight-related co-morbidities in younger children. One third found that patients affected by obesity had longer hospital stays.
The HWS currently cares for 367 patients with severe complicated obesity. Despite tightening the eligibility threshold, they have seen a significant increase in Category 1 referrals since June 2022 (9.6% vs 58.5%, Chi-square p-value<0.0001). The increase has persisted annually (OR 1.91, 95% CI: 1.74-2.1, p-value<0.0001). A third of the patients (32.7%) require care from 5+ tertiary teams and 34% have pre-diabetes.
Conclusion: Our data highlight rising demand for tertiary obesity care, increasing patient complexity, and the system-wide impact of obesity across the CAHS. Prioritising obesity management is essential to reduce its burden on patients, healthcare services, and the economy.