| Children
and adolescents meet twice per week for exercise and once per week for a
nutrition education or behavior modification class using the Smart
Moves™ Workbook. The program offers 12-week sessions that have
approximately six nutrition topics and six behavior modification topics
per session. Children are encouraged to attend consecutive sessions to
obtain their weight management goals and further the educational
process. |
Josh and Eric, together, have lost over 100 pounds. Eric no longer needs to take insulin or his oral diabetes medication
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| NUTRITION EDUCATION:
The program teaches better food choices and appropriate portion sizes
for best long-term results. Dieting is not recommended since it
encourages short-term changes and does not generally lead to permanent
success. Registered Dietitians (RD) or master-level nutritionists teach
all nutrition-related topics (40 minute class). Parents and caregivers
are encouraged to join all nutrition-related classes since they do the
grocery shopping and cooking and therefore need to be a role model for
the family. |
BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION:
Children will become more aware of overeating triggers and ultimately
learn ways to cope with such triggers. RDs or social workers facilitate
this portion of the program (40 minute class) and use the Smart Moves™
Workbook as a reference. Parents and caregivers are actually discouraged
from attending these class topics since the children partake in more
frank discussions without a parental figure present. |
| PHYSICAL ACTIVITY:
In addition to improving eating behaviors, the program's goal is to
increase children's physical activity level. Activity promotes weight
loss and, later, helps maintain weight. Children are encouraged to
exercise 30 to 40 minutes five times per week. The program offers two 50
minute, moderate cardiovascular workouts each week of the program.
Trained exercise physiologists supervise the exercise component. The
Bright Bodies Program offers an array of activity choices for overweight
children such as, flag football, dancing, basketball, races, active
games, and interactive video games like Kanomi's Dance Dance Revolution (click for video). |
PARENT CLASSES:
Parents will learn how to be role models to promote healthy behavior
changes in the family enviroment. These classes give parents an
opportunity to discuss challenges with other parents and the social
worker. |
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Benefits for Children
- Lose Weight
- Build muscle mass and lose fat mass
- Increase energy
- Make friends
- Feel less isolated
- Increase self-esteem
- Learn healthier eating habits
- Prevent or improve conditions such as: Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep disturbances, and high cholesterol
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Benefits for Parents
- Improve family communication
- Decrease stress of handling child's problem alone
- Improve family health
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