Marketing: A Soda by Any Other Name is Still a Soda!

Marketing is fascinating. It amazes me how companies can get consumers to purchase their products based on misleading information that specifically appeals to the target audience's beliefs and concerns.

I will never forget when the "water infused with vitamins" came on the market. It was advertised hat it would give me more energy with natural vitamins and minerals. I thought "wow, that is so cool". It appealed to my health conscious self that was also a tired mom of 3. I picked it up, turned it over, only to find out it had as many calories and sugar as a sports drink and soda. This was probably 8 years ago. This "water" is still on the market and educated, health conscious people still buy this product for what it appears to be. When I work with families and we learn how to read labels, I always pull this drink out and kids and parents are always shocked.

This post was prompted by some kids I heard talking at school last week. A student had a "sparkling juice" (let's call it a Buzzee) in her lunch and came running, with her friend, in to the office saying her "Buzzee had been stolen!" "What is a Buzzee?" a teacher asked. At exactly the same time one child said soda and the other said juice.

I was in my office and I laughed to myself but I did not get involved though I wanted to yell "It is a SODA! They are trying to trick you and your parents!" But I didn't.

Since companies don't care about our health, it is up to us to educate ourselves and learn how to read and understand labels. I want people to know what they are eating and drinking. Fine, pack your child a Buzzee, but please don't pretend it is a healthy choice - it is a SODA!
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Declining Rates of Childhood Obesity

A New York Times article was published on December 10 about several cities reporting declining  rates of childhood obesity. Many people have asked me my thoughts on this news which I approach with very cautious optimism.

Although this is good news and it seems to indicate that Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign has increased awareness around this issue, we still have a long way to go.

Until we (parents, teachers, coaches, administrators,local governments, scout leaders,) truly start creating healthier environments for our kids AND making health a priority in our communities and schools, I am afraid we are still stuck.

No doubt there has been progress, mostly in raising awareness, but I still see our kids not learning how to make healthy choices and being put in situations where there aren't healthy choices available. Again, isn't this our responsibility to create healthy environments for our kids and to teach them how to make healthy choices?

To change these environments, we need to change behaviors. To change behaviors, we need to educate and we need to educate everyone about the reasons why our kids need to make healthy choices around food and exercise.

Here are a few specific environmental changes  that I hope to see some day:

1) PE in schools everyday. We see academic and behavioral benefits with just 20 minutes of PE a day. Isn't that enough information to provide PE everyday?

2) No food at school (outside of snack and lunch). Yes, I know this sounds harsh but it is too hard and too unhealthy!(allergies, larger classes so more birthdays, multiple holidays, takes time away from lessons, hurt feelings from kids who can't bring something etc.)  Let's offer extra PE time instead!

3) No treats at sporting events and scouting events! If it is an appropriate snack time, provide fruit and/or vegetables and water. I will never forget my daughter going to a 5:00 pm scouting meeting to eat brownies before coming home for dinner.I know food is fun but why does every single event have to involve food - and unhealthy food at that!

Let's start there. Then we can tackle supermarkets...

Getting Kids to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

The age old problem that will not go away...how do we get our kids to eat more fruits and vegetables? 

Here are some of my favorite ideas and recipes:

1. CUT the fruits and vegetables and leave them on the counter all afternoon. They will disappear much more quickly if you  cut and peal them for your kids. I know it is a pain, but it works. I also like to put out a bowl of washed grapes or a bowl of clementines.
2. Make sure fruits and vegetables are stored at eye level in the refrigerator and try not to have too many other options around them.
3. Offer cut vegetables right before dinner - this seems to be the time when kids come looking for munchies so if veggies are cut and ready, kids will eat more. 
4. Serve a simple vegetable soup as your first course! 
5. Serve fruit for dessert every night. This becomes a habit. When dinner is over, we have fruit which is our dessert M-Th.
6. Smoothies are a great snack and easy for kids to make themselves.
7. Try cut fruit dipped in non-fat vanilla yogurt (apples, bananas and strawberries are particularly good)

SMOOTHIE

• Frozen fruit (add vegetables if you feel adventurous)
• Nonfat plain (or vanilla) yogurt 
• Put in a blender - add nonfat milk for desired thickness

SIMPLE SOUP

• Cut butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, sweet potato, broccoli, potato (anything really..)
• Spray lightly with olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt
• Roast in oven on 450 degrees (until veggies are soft - potato and squash take longer than cauliflower and broccoli..)
• Let cool.
• Put in a bowl with some chicken or vegetable broth and using a handheld blender, or a regular blender, blend to desired thickness - adding broth as needed

YUMMY FRUIT SNACK (A Kid Favorite!!)

• Cut strawberries and bananas
• Dip them in non-fat vanilla yogurt
• Dip again in krsipy rice cereal (or graham crackers for an extra special treat!)

EASY, HEALTHY VEGGIE DIP

• Use non-fat plain greek yogurt
• Add packet of *ranch dip packet
• Mix and let sit for 30 - 60 mins
• Then dip favorite vegetables!

*experiment with different seasonings to add to your greek yogurt

Good Luck!

Tips for Creating a Healthy Environment at Home

When working with parents in the weight control program, we talk a lot about the healthy habits we want for our kids when they are adults and how important it is to keep that big picture in mind when we are parenting instead of getting stuck in the moment.

Unfortunately we tend to do what is easier at that moment than take the extra time to reinforce limits or implement discipline. A perfect example is at the grocery store when you are tired and hungry and your child is begging you for special sugary cereal. It may be easier to say yes at the time, but you will regret it when you get home, and you will regret it even more when  you go back to the store the following week and your child starts bugging you again for the special sugary cereal. If you go to the store and say NO every time, it will be difficult for a few visits but eventually your child will stop asking.

Remember the BIG picture and that it is easier to set a habit than change a habit. And the younger we are, the easier it is to create good habits (and change bad ones)!

Tip #1: It is OK to set limits around food.  Just like we set limits for homework, TV/Computer time, play-dates and chores, we need to set limits around food. Kids need and want limits, even if they push back. So what does this look like?  Some examples of limits/rules that we have at my house:

• Kitchen is closed at 8 pm (no snacking etc.)
• Dessert night is Friday, Saturday and sometimes Sunday night
• TV is off during meals
• Family sits together for dinner (as often as is possible but make it a priority)
• No food in the bedrooms

Tip #2: You are not a short order cook. I cook one meal for dinner and if my children don't like it, they will go to bed hungry. I know this sounds harsh but they won't starve and I make every effort to cook a meal that my children will like. When I talk about this with parents, they often laugh to themselves and say they should really do that, because that is how they grew up. But the reality is that many parents don't do this any more. Instead of having a battle with our kids over what is being served for dinner, parents will often just make something quick that the child likes. In addition, parents seem to have a very big fear (which is slightly irrational if I do say so myself) of our children going to bed hungry.

From a habit or behavior perspective, if we give in and cook our kids what they want for dinner every time they don't like what we made, what are we teaching them? What will they do if they go to a friends house and they don't like the dinner being served?  If  your child knows you will make macaroni and cheese for them every time they don't like dinner, why would they ever try new foods? I wouldn't. I LOVE macaroni and cheese.

From a weight control perspective, what happens when you make your child's favorite dinner every night? Research shows that if we prepare or are served our favorite foods, we eat more. So if we eat our favorite foods like macaroni and cheese every night, you will likely eat more than necessary and gain weight.

A long time ago I worked with a mom of a very young child. She was already worried about her 5 year-old's weight because her pediatrician had told her she was overweight. She and I talked about what her daughter ate for dinner which was chicken nuggets and macaroni & cheese because she did not like anything else. Since she was already prompted by her pediatrician to make changes, I encouraged her to make one healthy dinner for the whole family and if she did not like what was on her plate, she could leave the table. (I never make a child eat everything on their plate BUT, it is very important for kids to try it). Needless to say, her daughter was very mad at first but the mom stayed consistent with her message and she did not make it into a battle. She simply stated that this was dinner and if she did not like it, she could leave the table. I can't remember how long it took for the daughter to accept this new rule but it was only a matter of days which in the long run, is not very long!

Tip #3: Keep healthy food in the house and junk food out! If we want our kids to make healthy choices, than we need to make healthy choices available. Parents have control over the shopping and cooking so they have the ability to buy and make the food that they want their kids to eat. If your child won't eat the healthy snacks, then they probably aren't truly hungry. They may be bored, sad, tired, lonely etc. Help your kids identify reasons why they might be eating when they aren't hungry and try to work together on listening to your body to learn signals of being hungry and full.

By keeping the junk food out, you are reducing the urge to reach for those foods when a child may not actually be hungry. I meet a lot of parents who think kids need to have will power when it comes to treats. Really?? How many adults do you know who have willpower when someone brings a box of donuts or cookies to work? Or who pass by the candy dish without taking one? It is just NOT FAIR to make kids pass up the cookies for the carrots if they are both in the kitchen. The "will-power" will come later...

Tip #4: Be a Good Role Model. It is what it is - kids do as we do, not as we say. Do you want your kids texting on the phone while driving? Then you better not be doing it. If you want your kids to eat healthy foods, then you should be eating healthy foods too. If you want them to exercise, then you should be exercising too. It is what it is. Now, that being said, it is OK for your kids to see you struggle. I work with a lot of parents who struggle with either exercise and/or making healthier food choices. I advise them to tell their kids that they are struggling but they are going to try to exercise at least X times a week and eat fewer Red Lights this week because they know it is healthy.

One of the most important things we can do to support healthy choices, is to create healthy environments for our kids. Our job as a parent is to create an environment at home where your child can be successful. We can't ask or expect our kids to make healthy choices when they are surrounded by unhealthy ones.

Healthy Holiday Celebrations: The Green Light Soup

Change can be slow but when you see it happening it is incredibly exciting! I visited several classrooms the other day during their Thanksgiving Feasts and it was wonderful to see how the classes I visited are really trying to have healthy holiday celebrations.

I was sitting quietly in my office completing some emails before the four day weekend when I got a phone call from the Kindergarten class room. The teacher whispered into the phone "Thea, the kids want the Stoplight Lady to see their soup!" So....I put on my Stoplight costume and wondered over to the Kindergarten classroom. As I opened the door I could hear all of the kids say "oooohhh" as the Stoplight Lady walked in! This must be how the characters feel at Disneyland....They were so excited to show me their Green Light soup.

Their feast was fantastic and the children were so proud of their soup. Each child told me about the different vegetables (Green Lights) that they each prepared and put in to the yummy soup. They told me that they tried new vegetables - they liked some and not others but that is okay because they tried them! In addition to their soup (most kids ate it all), they had water, corn bread and a mini pumpkin muffin as their dessert.

The second grade class also had a healthy feast. The teacher asked the kids to arrange their plate like the MyPlate graphic.

As I came in, they all showed me their Green Light foods! Before they could start eating, they filled half the plate with fruits and vegetables and the other half had a corn muffin and a piece of turkey. The meal was balanced and the portion sizes were reasonable! This teacher uses the Stoplight Nutrition curriculum that I created specifically for schools, throughout the entire school year to teach kids and reinforce how to make healthy choices.

How refreshing to celebrate a holiday with healthy food and the kids loved it!

MORE Treats at School? Parents, Speak Out!

Recently a friend, FB, came to me because she was very angry about food that was being served at her school. "Did  you know about it?" She asked me. "What good are you in your position if no one is listening to you and teachers are allowed to do what they want?" I smiled and explained that if I went around telling teachers and principals that what they were doing was wrong and they needed to do it my way, I would make a lot of enemies,  I would not make change, and I would most definitely get fired. But I digress...

FB's son had a grade level "theme day". This is when the teacher takes a teaching concept like the 100th Day of School and plans a day of activities around that theme, concept or book that the class has been studying. At this theme day, students drank soda, ate ice cream and chewed gum in addition to playing games. FB sent me the angry text early the next morning.

I suggested that FB meet with the principal to express her concerns.

Not only was FB upset because her own child had never had soda and was not permitted to chew gum (especially if it was not sugar-free) she was shocked to learn that her 6 year-old was given these foods at school and without parental notification or permission. Her quote "No one has the right to feed my kid these foods, especially without asking me first". I can identify with this. I often get the statement that it is a parent's right to bring whatever food they want to school. My response? Parents can bring whatever they want for their own child, but I agree that they don't have a right to feed other people's children without asking the parents. The food allergies add another element of caution as well. In this case, a teacher brought the treats to school without notifying parents.

These "sneaky treats" are provided in the schools much more than we realize. Some examples of extra treats that our kids get that we may not even know about include: Lunch Bunch when a teacher brings treats for kids that complete all of their homework; Theme Days when teachers bring treats; Rewards kids are frequently rewarded with candy, pizza and milkshake parties.These are in addition to birthday treats and holiday celebrations.

Parents, you have a strong voice! I encourage you to find out what your health policies are for your district and your school. I can't help but feel quite strongly that we don't send our kids to school to eat junk foods like soda, candy and cupcakes. At the same time, we can remind parents that if they have a problem with this concept that they can send whatever they want to school with their own child.

Next Year I Am Handing Out Carrots

I did hand out pretzels one year for Halloween and I never heard the end of it. They were in cute little orange packages that looked like pumpkins. My husband said that was the reason why no one came to our house the following year. This year we handed out candy and for some reason I am feeling very guilty about it. A group of kids came by and said “Hey! That is the Red, Yellow, Green Light Lady”. I am not sure they fully understood the irony of me handing out candy though I am sure their parents explained it to them. Another parent stopped by our house and said “you better not be handing out carrots” – I wish I was.

I am not sure why the guilt is worse this year. I have handed out candy in the past. Perhaps it is because I just went to that conference on sugary drinks and got a jar full of sugar representing the amount of sugar we eat in a week. Or maybe it is because I have been reading about the soda tax on the Richmond, CA ballot. Or maybe it is because I just did several assemblies on making healthy choices. Whatever the trigger is, this year I feel so much more concerned about the amount of sugar that our kids (mine at home and in the community) are eating and the health lady contributed to it!!

In general, I am all about moderation. When people first meet me or work with me, they assume that we must not have any red light foods in the house and that I grow wheat grass. But we do have a few red lights and I don’t grow wheat grass.  I have a sweet tooth and I am very aware of trying to keep a balance in my family’s life so they don’t go overboard at a party or a friend’s house. I do believe that if something is forbidden, you want it more. So in an effort to be more relaxed and less Red-Light obsessed, the health lady handed out candy and now I feel terrible.  

In spite of my lapse in judgment, good things did happen this year. I had a number of parents tell me that the Switch Witch came and took their child’s candy and left a present. My daughter got a great book called “I Need My Monster” by Amanda Noll and Howard McWilliam. 

A lot of children brought their candy back to school to earn money for our education foundation (a local dentist is buying it back and sending the candy to the troops).   

There is more than it looks in a photo

Several teachers told me that they did not have any sugary treats at their Halloween party! Instead they had string cheese fingers, spa water with grapes for eyes, and fruit. Some other teachers told me that they chose not to hand out the extra cookies and snacks that parents brought and either sent them back home with the child, or brought it to the teachers’ lounge (not like we need it either…). I made the pumpkin with the fruit skewers and brought it to a party. Kids loved it and parents thought I was so clever.

Next year I think I will hand out carrots.

Sugary Drinks and Childhood Obesity

I gave a lot of presentations this week about making healthy choices and avoiding sugary drinks. Sugary drinks are defined as sugary sodas, sports drinks, iced teas, juice drinks, vitamin waters, and energy drinks.

I must be doing something right. After I did a presentation at one school, the kids went home and hid their Dad's soda (he was not happy). Another child went home and said "Mom, I need to switch to 1% milk". Another child went home and educated his whole family about how much sugar was in their soda. His parents were shocked and the child was so pleased that he knew something that they did not know! There is a quote that I love - and I am paraphrasing - but it is something like "you aren't making change unless people are mad at you". I know these parents so it was extra amusing.

Last week I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Harold Goldstein, the Executive Director of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, talk about a new advocacy initiative called Kick the Can which specifically targets sugary drinks and their huge role in the childhood obesity epidemic http://www.kickthecan.info/.

I know that it is not new information for most people that sugary drinks are unhealthy. Frankly it is one thing for adults to be drinking soda (though your kids are watching you!) who are capable of understanding the health consequences, but it is quite another to deliberately market these products, which are proven to be harmful, to children.
 
Dr. Goldstein shared 8 reasons why focusing on sugary drinks can make a large impact in improving childhood obesity.

1. the large amounts of sugar (obvious)
2. the fact that these drinks are consumed in such massive quantities (Americans drink 45 gallons of sugary drinks per year)
3. the proven link between sugary drinks and obesity and diabetes
• 41% of kids ages 2-11 drink a soda a day
• 62% of teens drink a soda a day
• this is an extra 175 calories a day = 15 extra pounds a year
• every additional soda increases the risk of diabetes by 60%
4.  there are absolutely no nutritional benefits- soda is merely a sugar delivery device
5. offers poor calorie compensation - it does not make you feel full so it becomes ADDED to calories to what is already consumed as food
6. causes tooth decay
7. mostly marketed to children
8. The beverage environment has changed (change in soda size)
• 6.5 oz. in 1920
• 12oz. in 1960
• 20 oz. 1990's

Eliminating sugary drinks is not the only solution to childhood obesity. There are many causes and many solutions. I work with plenty of families that don't drink a lot of soda, and still have weight problems. But this campaign should urge all of us (schools, community centers, sport teams, our homes, scouting events, after care programs and after-school activities)   to take a good look at the unhealthy environments our society has created for kids. How can we ask our children make healthy choices when the environment around them is so contrary to these efforts? We go to school and have class parties and birthday parties. After school there are playdates which for some reason are so special that cookies and juice drinks have to be served. Then we drink sport drinks after soccer practice and games, and we eat dessert after dinner. It feels like there are red light foods everywhere!

If we are truly going to make an impact in reversing this epidemic which is causing our kids to be at risk for major health problems, and more depressed, stressed out, and tired, then we need to focus on creating environments that are making it easier for them to make healthy choices, not more difficult.

Healthy Halloween Ideas

Halloween can be a challenging time for kids and parents who are trying to make healthy choices but the holidays can be particularly difficult for children who are trying to control their weight.

I suppose it would be OK to have one day of treats if Halloween was truly only one day a year, but as with many of our holidays, Halloween seems to start at least 4 weeks before the actual day.

With all of the parties and and celebrations with friends, co-workers, sport teams, scouting troops, and classrooms, we must celebrate Halloween at least 10 times before October 31.

Here are some popular ideas to make Halloween a little bit healthier:

• Don't buy your candy until a day or two before you hand it out.
• Better yet, make sure you buy candy and hand out candy that you don't like!
• After your kids come back from trick-or-treating , have them pick out their favorites, then re-give it out what they collected when the older kids come by.
• A true favorite: try the "Switch Witch" or "Halloween Ghost".  After trick-or-treating and candy sorting, have your children pick out 10-20 of their favorite candies. The rest can be put out on the doorstep for the "Switch Witch" or "Halloween Ghost" who takes the candy and leaves a small present. 

•  Be the parent or teacher that offers to bring fruit and healthy snacks to the Halloween parties. The watermelon ghosts and bats made with cookie cutters and these string cheese fingers are a huge hit! (there are a lot of great food ideas on sites like Pinterest)

http://tistheseasonblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/cheese-finger-food.html

• Handout small toys like spider rings - everyone likes spider rings!
  

  

  www.orientaltrading.com

  
  

  
  

• Most importantly, don't keep the candy in the house for very long. Keep it for a few days, if necessary, then donate it. Get it out of the house so you and your children aren't tempted.

http://oldegreencupboard.blogspot.com/

Have a Happy, Healthy Halloween.

 Clementine Jack-o-Lanterns

No Food Birthdays at School

Yes, it is true. A school I work with just started NO FOOD BIRTHDAYS and the staff said it is going great! The teachers and administration drove this initiative and collectively agreed to implement this rule school wide.

Last year we tried to make changes across the district encouraging teachers and parents to bring in healthier birthday treats. We saw and continue to see great progress. Parents have gotten creative with fruit by making fruit salad in an ice cream cone, fruit kebabs and fruit mosaics. 

 

However, the staff at one of the schools said that by the end of the year, the unhealthy foods just keep coming back and by then it is harder to enforce.  They also mentioned that there is a lot of disagreement between children, parents, teachers and administrators about what is considered healthy and unhealthy. The increase in the number of food allergies is also a concern. It was easier for them to implement a “NO FOOD BIRTHDAYS” rule.  Of course every student is acknowledged on their special day, but instead of cupcakes with transfat frosting, students get to go out 5 minutes early for recess. Some children have donated a book, game or PE equipment for the classroom in honor of their birthday.  

If a parent really wants to bring in a non-food item for the students, teachers say yes but they don’t encourage it. One teacher told me “if a parent really wants to bring in a toy for each child, they can, but I actually try to discourage them from doing it. I don’t want the parents to spend that extra money and we all have so many pencils, silly bands, erasers and bouncy balls!” The teachers were also quick to recognize that students often have several birthday celebrations with friends, parents, grandparents, and a sports team or scouting group so there are plenty of other opportunities to celebrate with food.  

Teachers still have the occasional class party to celebrate a holiday but these only happen about 4 times a year and the treats are limited to one per party.

I get a lot of parents, teachers and administrators who tell me it can’t be done. I am delighted to share a success story of one school that collectively agreed on NO FOOD BIRTHDAYS. Instead of being upset, the teachers told me that parents are incredibly relieved and most importantly that the students are happy.

Perhaps other schools will be inspired to try to limit birthday celebrations with food.

Soccer Season - Post Game Snacks

As I have mentioned before, I feel very strongly that it is our responsibility as teachers, parents, and coaches to teach kids how to make healthy choices. By providing unhealthy snacks after athletic events, we are doing the opposite! And we are giving our children contradictory messages. We tell our children to run around, be healthy and active, eat your fruit and vegetables, and when you are done with your soccer game, baseball game, basketball game, race etc. it is okay to eat junk food...?

In this case I am not even speaking as a childhood obesity expert, though experts feel this is one of many contributing factors to the childhood obesity epidemic. I am speaking as a parent, athlete, coach, and teacher. Why do we want our athletic kids to fuel their bodies with junk? Not only does it affect their performance on the field, it affects their attitude, behavior and energy before, during and after the game...long after the game.

This is the third year in a row that all of the soccer teams that my 3 daughters play on have collectively agreed to have no treats after soccer games. Parents bring fruit at half time, and that is it. It has been great. No one, including the kids, complain. Parents are relieved and the kids are over it. Most kids are on their way to a playdate, birthday party or scouting event anyway...

We have gotten so used to the no post-game snacks that I was surprised when I saw the snacks of a teams that was playing right before us. Each child got a bag of chips, a rice krispy treat and a sugary orange drink. When I do comment on the abundance of unhealthy post-game snacks, a frequent parental response is "they are kids so they can eat whatever they want". Now that may or may not be true - it depends on your child , but skinny or overweight, it is not healthy for any child to be eating junk food before, during or after an athletic event.

The irony! Last week I gave a presentation at a couple of different school assemblies on the topic of "Making Healthy Choices". I taught the kids about Red, Yellow and Green light foods and sugary drinks. A couple of the children at the assembly were also on my soccer team so I asked them what color foods the other team was eating after their soccer game. Their response was "A lot of Red Lights!" 

As a parent, athlete, teacher and health educator, I feel tremendous responsibility to teach kids, all kids, how to make healthy choices. We know that eating healthy food and exercising regularly improves academic success, social and emotional health, sleep habits, and of course, athletic performance. Don't we want our kids to feel and perform their best, all the time?

George's Weight Loss Story

When I first met George, he and his mother seemed sad, discouraged and disconnected. They had tried other solutions, but nothing worked so why would this be any different? They were reluctantly optimistic to say the least. It seemed that this might be the final effort for George to control his weight. 

The first tool we teach families is to keep a journal. Keeping a journal provides a baseline of where to start making change. It also makes you aware of what you are eating because you have to write it down. Keeping a journal is often the least favorite tool of kids and parents but it is a critical component to lasting behavior change. This task was particularly tough for George.

When George started writing down what he ate, I learned that he was eating chicken nuggets several times a day. He ate very few fruits and vegetables and seemed to survive on frozen foods with very little nutritional value. In the parent group, his mom confided that she did not know what to do. He only liked chicken nuggets so that is what she prepared for him.

After a few weeks in the program, I was concerned that George and his mom were not benefitting from the program and I was starting to feel a little disheartened. George was not keeping a journal and his mom was frustrated - but they still kept coming to class!

Then there was a change. It seemed like it was all of a sudden but looking back, it probably happened over the course of a couple of weeks. I could tell that George and his mom enjoyed coming to class. He was smiling a lot and his mom was making an extra effort with her appearance.  Each week, he started losing a little weight. When I saw him for his personal check in after 20 weeks in the program, George had importantly had reduced his BMI by 35%! It was a complete transformation in attitude and behavior. His mom told us that George had received a "most improved" award from his PE teacher and an academic achievement award from his History teacher. I did not fully realize the significance of this achievement until she told us how much he struggled academically, physically and emotionally the previous year. 

What happened? It is hard to say what motivates people to make change. The answer is different for each individual and each family. For George, his mom said she attributed his life changes to the feeling of empowerment and self confidence he got from participating in the program.

I asked George what motivated him and he said he was finally sick of feeling badly and feeling like he was struggling. He knew he needed to make a change but he did not know how. The Packard Pediatric Weight Control Program offered him the chance and the tools to do that. 

Follow-up:  I saw George recently. In the final weeks of class, George’s mom thanked us many times for saving their lives. George received 4 awards at school recognizing his academic achievements, health achievements and his motivation. He was giving health tips over the loud speaker during morning announcements and was working with the school district to provide healthier lunches. He has joined the crew team and interns at our offices during the summer.