Bethany Jane Gaffka, PhD

Bethany J. Gaffka, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Division of Pediatric Psychology at the University of Michigan. Dr. Gaffka earned her bachelor’s degree from Bates College and her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Maine. She completed her internship in pediatric psychology at the University of Florida, and then completed a specialized fellowship in pediatric obesity intervention and research at the University of Florida in 2007. Dr. Gaffka currently serves as the Director of the Pediatric Weight Management Clinic at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan. Her clinical interests include the behavioral treatment of pediatric obesity and binge eating disorder, assessment and treatment of psychological comorbidities influencing pediatric obesity, and behavioral health interventions for youth with chronic illness. Dr. Gaffka’s research focuses on evaluating weight management treatment outcomes, mechanisms by which parents influence child weight status during participation in a pediatric weight management program, barriers to long term retention in weight management intervention, and psychosocial predictors of weight status change. Dr. Gaffka is funded by the American Heart Association Midwest Affiliate to implement and evaluate a parent-based obesity intervention for parents of obese preschoolers attending Head Start. Dr. Gaffka is a member of The Obesity Society, American Heart Association, American Psychological Association, and Society of Pediatric Psychology. Dr. Gaffka also participates on several subcommittees with the Children’s Hospital Association’s FOCUS on a Fitter Future and the American Academy of Pediatrics Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight

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