University of Virginia Health System

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U.VA. HEALTH SYSTEM TO OPEN STATE'S FIRST MULTI-SPECIALTY FITNESS PROGRAM FOR OVERWEIGHT CHILDREN

There have been many a parental assertion that a heavier than normal child is simply “big boned” or that a cherubic infant will lose his “baby fat” once he begins to walk.  Some of the assertions are true and some are not, but one thing is certain, childhood obesity, weight problems and their resulting medical conditions have reached epidemic proportions among America’s youth. To combat this problem, the Children’s Medical Center at the University of Virginia Health System has opened Virginia’s first, integrated, weight-management clinic for children.

The Children’s Fitness Clinic will offer a comprehensive medical evaluation and an intensive lifestyle modification program for overweight children and teens. The team administering this care will consist of a pediatric endocrinologist and nephrologist, an exercise physiologist, a nutritionist, a nurse practitioner, a psychologist and a pediatric surgeon.

“We have resources to take a team approach to combating this epidemic. Our focus is not only on the medical problems associated with childhood obesity, but also on providing an integrated program to improve dietary habits, increase physical activity and build self-esteem,” said Dr. Milagros Huerta, assistant professor of pediatrics and co-medical director of the Children’s Fitness Center.

The team approach that makes this clinic unique gets back to the basics and requires more than a 15-minute office visit. Initially, patients will be scheduled for appointments that will last an hour and a half, Huerta said. Also, parents will participate with their children in weekly individualized and group sessions at the Children’s Fitness Clinic to discuss factors like eating habits, physical activity and television viewing. These are all risk factors for weight problems that can be changed.

“The truth is that there is no secret or groundbreaking discovery on how to treat childhood obesity. It’s as simple as eating better and exercising more,” Huerta said. “The hardest part is to work with the families closely to ‘convince them’ or ‘get them engaged’ in doing this, and providing help along the road because any behavioral change is difficult and takes a lot of effort and will power from their part.”

After the initial evaluation, patients will be offered the opportunity to participate in a six-month intensive lifestyle modification program. This program will include brief, individual follow-up visits with team members to monitor the child’s progress. Group sessions will cover different aspects of nutrition, physical activity and behavioral modification. Patients who are unable to participate in the intensive lifestyle modification program will receive periodic follow-up by phone or e-mail from various team members. Medical follow-up visits will be determined by the severity of the overweight status and the travel distance for each patient.

“Our team also includes a pediatric surgeon qualified to perform bariatric surgery. Patients who are morbidly obese and who do not improve with lifestyle modification may be referred for surgical consultation,” Huerta said.

The Children’s Fitness Clinic is open to children of all ages. Most of the clinic’s patients will come by way of physician referrals. There is no restriction on how many children with weight-related problems can join the program.

Appointments for the initial evaluation will take place at U.Va. Health System’s Primary Care Center from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.; subsequent appointments will occur in the afternoon from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. These hours are designed to accommodate both parents and their children before or after regular school hours. The weekly follow-up and group sessions will be held at the Kluge Children’s Rehabilitation Center. For additional information regarding the program, please call (434) 982-1627.

October 28, 2003