My name is Paola Porcelluzzi, and I am a Registered Dietitian and Postgraduate Volunteer Trainee at Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Rome, Italy. My work focuses on paediatric nutrition and metabolic health, with particular expertise in childhood obesity, type 1 diabetes, and endocrine disorders within a multidisciplinary clinical setting.
À quoi ressemble une journée de travail type pour vous ?
My work initially focused on the assessment and management of children with obesity. I was involved in nutritional counselling, anthropometric and body composition evaluation, and the interpretation of metabolic data, working within a multidisciplinary team to design family-centred intervention plans. Currently, I am training within the Unit of Diabetology and Endocrinology, where I support physicians and dietitians in the care of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes and endocrine disorders. This experience has broadened my clinical perspective, allowing me to better understand the metabolic complexity underlying paediatric conditions and to integrate nutritional care within a more comprehensive endocrine framework.
Qu'est-ce qui a suscité votre intérêt pour le domaine de l'obésité ?
My interest in obesity developed gradually during my academic journey, but it became truly meaningful during my master’s degree in Food and Health at the University of Padova. That was the moment when I stopped seeing obesity simply as an issue of excess body weight and began to understand its deeper complexity.
I realized that obesity is never just about food intake or physical activity. It reflects the interaction between biology, psychology, family dynamics, and environment.
At the same time, I have always felt strongly committed to the concept of prevention, not only of obesity, but of chronic diseases more broadly. This is one of the main reasons why I was drawn to paediatric nutrition. I firmly believe that early intervention is essential: addressing overweight or early signs of metabolic imbalance during childhood can significantly change long-term health trajectories.
Through connections with the Italian Society of Obesity (SIO) and the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO), I later had the opportunity to engage with Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, where I was able to translate this academic interest into practical clinical experience.
Quel outil, méthode ou astuce facilite votre vie professionnelle et que vous aimeriez que tout le monde connaisse ?
One method I wish everyone working in healthcare knew about is Motivational Interviewing (MI). Developed by Miller and Rollnick and widely supported in behavioral medicine research, MI is a patient-centered counseling approach designed to strengthen intrinsic motivation for change, something that is essential when working with chronic conditions.
What I’ve learned is that families often already know what they “should” do. What they truly need is support in understanding how and why to make those changes within their own daily reality. The real shift happens when we help them explore their own reasons for change and build readiness together.
Motivational Interviewing moves the focus away from simply prescribing behaviors and toward understanding ambivalence, barriers, and personal motivation. Instead of telling families what to change, it helps them identify realistic and sustainable steps they feel ready to take. In my experience, this approach reduces resistance, strengthens the therapeutic alliance, and promotes sustainable behavioral change rather than short-term compliance. Especially in paediatric care, where both parents and children are involved, MI transforms the conversation from “what you should do” to “what we can realistically change together”.
Quel a été le projet le plus gratifiant ou le plus passionnant sur lequel vous ayez travaillé ?
The most rewarding project I have worked on so far is the RESILIENT Project at Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, which formed the basis of my Master’s thesis. The project focuses on children aged 6-12 years with obesity and evaluates the effects of an Intensive Healthy Behavioral Lifestyle Treatment (IHBLT), integrating nutritional, behavioral, cognitive, and metabolic components.
What made this project particularly meaningful for me was its multidimensional approach. It did not treat obesity as a simple weight issue, but as a complex condition involving metabolic markers, dysfunctional eating behaviors, and family dynamics. Being involved in the assessment process allowed me to integrate anthropometric measurements, metabolic markers, and psychological questionnaires such as the Eating Disorders Questionnaire in Childhood (EDQ-C) into a single interpretative framework. This experience changed the way I approach paediatric obesity. I realised that numbers alone (such as BMI, insulin levels, waist-to-height ratio) never tell the full story. The real challenge is understanding how biological predisposition interacts with emotional regulation, parental feeding practices, and environmental context.
It was particularly exciting to observe how an IHBLT can produce meaningful changes when implemented early and with strong family involvement. Seeing improvements not only in metabolic parameters but also in behavioral patterns reinforced my belief that paediatric obesity requires structured, evidence-based, multidisciplinary care.
This project confirmed my commitment to paediatric nutrition and strengthened my interest in early prevention strategies that address both the biological and psychological dimensions of obesity.
Quel conseil donneriez-vous à celui ou celle qui débute aujourd'hui ?
I would tell myself not to rush toward quick answers in a field that is inherently complex. Obesity, especially in children, cannot be simplified to single causes or quick solutions. I would tell myself: take the time to understand the child behind the diagnosis. The family behind the eating behavior. The emotional meaning behind the weight. Obesity is never just “calories in, calories out”. And clinical work is never just about giving the right recommendation, it’s about building trust.
Qu'est-ce qui vous enthousiasme le plus dans l'avenir de la recherche sur l'obésité ?
What excites me most about the future of obesity research is the growing shift toward a more integrated and biologically informed understanding of the disease.
I am particularly inspired by advances in early prevention. Evidence from epigenetics and developmental programming suggests that metabolic risk begins much earlier than previously thought, even before birth. Understanding how early-life factors shape long-term metabolic regulation opens the door to more effective and timely interventions.
I also believe the future lies in bridging metabolic science with psychological and family-based models of care. Appetite regulation, stress responses, and emotional processes are deeply interconnected. Sustainable treatment will need to integrate these dimensions rather than separating biology from behavior.
What genuinely excites me is that paediatric research is increasingly central in this evolution. If we can intervene earlier, biologically and behaviorally, we can alter long-term health trajectories instead of just managing complications in adulthood.
Où vous voyez-vous dans cinq ans ? Quel est votre projet ou poste de rêve ?
In five years, I see myself working in a specialised paediatric unit. I would like to stay in that space where data inform practice, and clinical experience raises new research questions. My dream project would focus on early identification of high-risk phenotypes in children with obesity – integrating metabolic markers, eating behaviour profiles, and family dynamics to design more tailored, family-centred interventions. At the same time, I hope to deepen my expertise in paediatric diabetology and endocrinology, because understanding metabolic regulation at a deeper level is essential if we want to intervene effectively and early.
Quels types de projets ou d'initiatives vous intéresseraient le plus dans le cadre d'une collaboration avec d'autres membres du RCE ?
I would be particularly interested in collaborating on projects focused on paediatric obesity and metabolic health. I am very interested in research exploring the relationship between dysfunctional eating behaviours, emotional regulation, and metabolic outcomes in children and adolescents. I am especially fascinated by studies examining the neurobiological and metabolic pathways underlying paediatric obesity, including how inflammatory processes, hyperinsulinemia, or alterations in reward circuits may influence appetite regulation and long-term weight trajectories.
Y a-t-il autre chose que vous aimeriez que l'ECN sache à votre sujet ?
I would like the ECN to know that my clinical and academic experiences have shaped a strong commitment to addressing paediatric obesity and metabolic disorders with scientific rigor, empathy, and a long-term perspective. I am particularly interested in strengthening early screening strategies by integrating behavioural and metabolic assessment into routine paediatric care, with the goal of improving prevention and long-term outcomes.
I am naturally curious and motivated to explore underlying mechanisms rather than stopping at surface-level explanations. In both clinical practice and research, I seek to understand why interventions are effective and how they can be optimized to provide more precise and meaningful care.
Completing an international Master’s degree at the University of Padova further reinforced my interest in working within multicultural and interdisciplinary environments. I believe that meaningful progress in obesity care depends on collaboration across disciplines and countries, combining diverse scientific and clinical perspectives.
At the core, I bring a thoughtful, patient-centred approach and a strong sense of responsibility toward improving the quality and effectiveness of paediatric obesity care. At the core, what I bring is a thoughtful, patient-centred approach and a belief that paediatric obesity deserves to be addressed with both scientific precision and human sensitivity.
Connect with Paola!
Courriel : paola.porcelluzzi.dietista@gmail.com
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