Childhood Obesity Programs that Work Presented By: Karen Rodgers

Obesity Facts Childhood obesity puts children at risk for serious medical conditions now and in the future Childhood obesity is a growing problem in the world today and we need to do all we can to stop the climbing rate of overweight children in our society

Obesity Facts In the United States at least one child in five is overweight According to the CDC the number of overweight children and adolescents increased by 100% in the United States between 1980 and 1994

Health Problems in overweight children We must remember that overweight children are more likely to be overweight adults Being overweight also increases their risk of cardiovascular disease

Reasons children become overweight                                                           Genetic Factors Lack of physical activity Unhealthy eating habits Medical problems

Common Medical Conditions of the overweight child Hyperlipidemia Glucose Intolerance Hepatic steatosis Cholelithiasis Early maturation

Additional Complications Sleep apnea – the cessation of breathing during sleep which lasts ten seconds Orthopedic complications affecting the legs, hips and feet

Type 2 Diabetes in Children Overweight and obese children are a risk for developing type 2 diabetes Usually between ages 10 – 19 Family history of diabetes Acanthosis Nigricans

Programs that Work for Weight Loss SHAPEDOWN CATCH – School Based Program Stoplight Diet Adventure Based Learning – We need more research in this area

What doesn’t work Camps with very low calorie diets Anything with very low calorie diets

SHAPEDOWN One of the nation’s leading weight management programs for children and adolescents In business for over 20 years

SHAPEDOWN

SHAPEDOWN program creators Faculty members of University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine Contributions from the following disciplines: Nutrition - Exercise Physiology Endocrinology - Psychology Family Therapy - Adolescent Medicine Family Medicine Behavioral and developmental Pediatrics

More about SHAPEDOWN Family based Research shows that family based treatment is effective even at 10 – year follow-up

Program Levels Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 6-8 year-old children 13-18 year-old adolescents

Program Includes Problem Solving Family Approach Assertive and emotionally expressive communication Parenting skills

SHAPEDOWN Recommendations Increasing Physical Activity New social interests and activities Chores (as a way to increase physical activity) Food Behaviors Eating regular meals Eating in response to hunger Only eating till they are full

How to use the program Primary instructor may be a dietitian, mental health professional, exercise specialist, registered nurse or physician The instructor undergoes 6-40 hours of training before the class begins Group sessions 10 weeks 2 ½ hours each

Long-term Results

More Results They have shown that kids who complete the program have improvement in the following areas: Weight loss Self-esteem Diet and exercise habits Weight management knowledge

Contact Information http://www.shapedown.com (415) 453-8886

School Based Programs CATCH The Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health Four sites around the nation 5105 students initially, 96 schools Third-grade students 3 year study Largest and most rigorous school-based health promotion field trial that had been implemented before 1996

Components of CATCH Family- based curricula Home curricula Family fun nights School – based curricula for the following: School food service Physical education Classroom curricula

Food Service Intervention Eat Smart Lower fat to 30 % of energy Saturated fat to 10% of energy Sodium to 600-1000 mg per serving

PE Intervention Increasing the amount of enjoyable physical activity during PE classes

Classroom Intervention Adventures of Hearty Heart and Friends Go for Health-4 Go for Health-5

Home curricula Activity packets that complemented classroom activities 19 activity packets over 3 school years Small rewards to encourage family participation

Family fun Night Dance performances by students Food booths with healthy snacks Distribution of recipes Games

Results of CATCH Success in the short and long term Long term behavior outcomes were seen in programs that were Multiyear Included environmental components Had parent and community support

More results Intensity of Physical Education Class increased Dietary knowledge increased Self- reported food choice changes on Health Behavior Questionnaire

Comments from the professionals Leonard Epstein, PhD, a leading authority on childhood obesity and professor of pediatrics at University at Buffalo “Get the whole family involved in the tratment and prevention of obesity.” “Parents need to be active participants in their child’s weight loss.”

Traffic-light Diet Produces long-term success for obese children Links food to the three signals on a traffic light Green -GO Low-calorie foods that can be eaten freely Yellow – CAUTION Moderate-calorie foods that can be eaten in moderation Red - STOP High calories foods that should be eaten rarely

Traffic-light Diet Significant decrease in percent of overweight over 5-10 years when program includes Behavioral control Exercise Family participation

Adventure Based Learning Camp experience incorporating Healthier food choices Increased physical activity Problem solving skills Stress Management Team Work

Quiz given at camp this year True or False Being overweight increases my risk of diabetes There are 8-10 teaspoons of sugar in one can of pop. Mayonnaise has less fat in it than mustard Being inactive increases my risk of developing diabetes Physical activity has to be boring or hard.

Results from Quiz Grades 3 –4 Grades 5-8 63% correct on pretest 88% correct on posttest Grades 5-8 86% correct on pretest 97% correct on posttest

Adventure Based Wt loss More information is still need to determine the long term affects of adventure based camps

Final comments Obesity in our children is a definite problem We need more research so that we can see what programs work and so new programs can be developed