Matthew Paponetti, PT, DPT, OCS; Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University

Matthew Paponetti, PT, DPT, OCS, is a physical therapist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition, where he works on a multidisciplinary team treating children and adolescents with obesity. He is also a PhD student in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at The Ohio State University and is supported by funding from the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research. His dissertation research examines physical fitness and body composition outcomes in adolescents receiving GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy, along with the role of physical activity during treatment. He has published and presented nationally on physical activity, biomechanics, and obesity treatment in youth. His work is driven by a belief that every child deserves to experience the joy of movement and the well-being that comes with it.

Through his work at the intersection of rehabilitation science and pediatric obesity treatment, Matthew has elevated the conversation around what healthy, lasting change looks like for children and adolescents.