Note from Connie: With all the incredibly depressing and scary news about obesity sweeping the country, particularly among our young population, it’s always thrilling to learn about programs that actually help people to peel off the pounds. Karen James updates us.
Whole family nutrition programs such as the three-month Dean Foods LEAN (Lifestyle, Exercise and Nutrition) Families Program at the Children’s Medical Center Dallas are making progress in the fight against childhood obesity, successes we learned about, thanks to MSNBC.com, which ran a story from the Associated Press.
A recent study of a similar program, Bright Bodies, in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that when children received weight management counseling in comprehensive, whole family programs, they kept up their healthier habits longer, the AP article explains. The youngsters also lowered their body mass index (BMI) by maintaining the same weight as they grew taller.
Those children who received only counseling both gained weight and increased their BMI.
As AP tells us, at least 95 children’s hospitals across the country have similar programs, which focus on teaching families to develop healthier habits through better fitness and nutrition choices—not just weight loss.
Karen James for the SUGAR SHOCK! Blog