What is the Fit Youth Program at the Cleveland Clinic Family Health Centers?
This program is for children ages 7-16 years who are serious about wanting to lose weight. Specifically designed for children and their parents, the group will meet once a week for 90 minutes. The program will last for 12 weeks. Group leaders include a psychologist, dietitian and exercise physiologist. In addition to losing weight, the program will help your child develop new eating and exercise habits. This program will teach you and your child to change the things at home affecting eating and exercise habits. Your child will learn to communicate effectively about their weight control. If you are interested and would like more information, please see locations and contact numbers below.
How does the program work?
If you join, your child and you will be in a group with nine other families. Your group will meet once a week for an hour and a half, for 12 weeks. Sometimes all the families meet together in a large group. At other times, children and parents have separate group sessions. The group leaders are a pediatric psychologist, a registered dietitian, an exercise physiologist and a pediatrician who together will teach your child how to lose weight and help the families resolve issues that interfere with weight loss. An advantage of being in a group is that other people are going through the same thing as your child.
Between meetings your child is expected to keep a diary, listing all the food they eat and their physical activity. This will aid your child in learning how to determine appropriate portion sizes. Your child will learn ways to find exercise enjoyable. Homework will be assigned each week. When you come to the meeting, your child will be weighed and a record maintained of their weight and exercise time. During group meetings, you and your child will learn new information, and try out new skills.
Gradually changing behavior will help your child lose weight. Our trained staff of specialists will help your child develop solutions that enhance their ability to enjoy a healthier body. This is not a starvation program or a diet that leaves children feeling hungry all the time. We don’t prescribe a “diet” or tell you exactly what you have to do. This is a program that teaches you and your child to make better choices. In this program, with your help, your child will be in control and will be expected to take responsibility for their weight loss.
Is this program for your child?
Overweight children usually feel more self-confident and happy after they lose weight. They feel more comfortable moving around physically and more interested in exercise. They have fewer health problems. They feel proud of their accomplishment.
Program Start Dates for 2010
- Ages 12 - 16: August 25, 2010 - Independence Family Health Center
- Ages 7 - 11: August 23, 2010 - Beachwood Family Health Center
- Ages 7 - 11: September 2, 2010 - Fairview Wellness Center, Rocky River
- Ages 12 - 16: September 21, 2010 - Willoughby Hills Family Health Center
- Ages TBD: September 21, 2010 - Wooster Family Health Center
Classes meet from 6:00 pm to 7:30pm.
5 Convenient Locations
Beachwood
Cleveland Clinic Beachwood Family Health Center
26900 Cedar Road
Beachwood, OH 44122
216.378.6240 x7
Independence
5001 Rockside Road, Crown Centre II
Independence, OH 44131
216.986.4128
Willoughby Hills
2570 SOM Center Road
Willoughby Hills, OH 44094
440.516.8690
NEW!
Fairview Wellness Center
3035 Wooster Road
Rocky River, OH 44116
440.899.5550
Wooster
Specialty Center
721 East Milltown Road
Wooster, OH 44691
330.287.4580
If you are interested, or would like more information, please contact Fit Youth at one of the locations listed above.
Download the Brochure (PDF)
This information is provided by the Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. For additional health information, please go to the Cleveland Clinic Health Information Center.
