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Obese Children Gain a New Look on Life at Healthy Weight Awareness Center

Sleep apnea isn’t fun at night; and, in the morning it can lead to problems with memory and learning. Not good for children. The children who suffer from it most are obese children. A host of other problems are associated with childhood obesity: high cholesterol and blood pressure levels, type 2 diabetes, orthopedic problems, liver disease and asthma.

St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children’s Healthy Weight Awareness Center, is offering children who are at risk or already affected by co-morbid conditions associated with being overweight hope with a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary program.

Here’s some of what the program offers:

• A medically supervised approach to evaluating and establishing treatment plans for significantly obese patients.
• A multidisciplinary team consisting of pediatric gastroenterologists, pediatricians, pediatric surgeons, nutrition specialists, nursing staff and practitioners, social workers and child life specialists.
• Referrals to sub-specialists for individual medical and surgical complications including endocrinology, pulmonary, surgery, orthopedics, cardiology and physical therapy.
• Weight management clinics held in conjunction with the hospital’s Surgical Program for Bariatric Surgery.
• After school programs: Fun n Fit! is directed by a nutritionist, physical therapist and social worker to educate about nutrition and exercise. These eight-week classes are open to referred children and adolescents. Family participation is required. Melt A Weighs is directed by a social worker and nurse practitioner; this weight management support group held every third Tuesday evening is open to adolescents and families.

The center makes individualized solutions for overweight children. Sometimes the staff chooses the medical route. Other times the solutions are surgical—if the children are between 16 and 18. It all depends on the patient’s needs.

Since St. Christopher’s blazed trails in April 2004 and became one of the first hospitals to offer surgery as an option for obese teens, six successful cases have been performed.

Some say obesity is hyped in the media. But, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health reported that in 1999 ten percent of teenage girls and nine percent of teenage boys were overweight. Two years later, the percentages rose to 12 percent and 19 percent, respectively.

For more information about the Healthy Weight Awareness Center at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children please call 215.427. 8338 or visit www.stchristophershospital.com