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As the number of overweight children in the U.S continues to climb, more hospitals are offering classes in weight management for kids. But unlike sending your child to weight loss camp for the summer, these hospital-based programs include some hard work for parents.

Pansy Hines, for example, wanted to help her son Brian — who had been overweight since birth.

“People tell you that it’s baby fat and he’ll lose it,” says Pansy, “but he just kept going. And he was always a big eater from day one.”

“I ate a lot of chicken, fried chicken, and steak,” says Brian, 16.

Brian’s doctor enrolled him in Operation Zero, a program for overweight kids run by the health care provider Kaiser Permanente. But there was a catch: His parents had to join, too.

“And, at first, it took me a minute,” says Pansy, “because I was like, ‘Everybody’s got to do this?’”

“I was used to eating fried foods all my life,” says Brian’s dad, George. “Everything — collared greens, chicken, pork chops — everything was fried.”

Every week, the family attended a class where they learned a new style of cooking.

“Do not expect that the child that is overweight is going to eat a salad, while everyone else is eating steak,” says pediatrician Dr. Luke Beno. “That doesn’t make sense.”

He says often it can be hard to get parents — especially fathers — to change their eating habits, but not for this family.

“When we first started the program, the only person that seemed to be enthusiastic about it was me,” says George. “And so I would do everything the program said, and I lost a lot of weight.”

Eventually, Brian’s mom got excited, too. She lost two dress sizes.

“It seemed like it was going to be difficult at first,” says Pansy, “but if the food still tastes good, that’s fine. And it still does.”

Brian says it helped to have his parents’ support.

“If they didn’t go through the program,” he says, “they probably would have kept buying all that food, and I probably would have kept eating for it more and more.”

What We Need To Know

• If your child would like to join a hospital-based program for overweight kids, choose a program that has both a nutritional component and an activity component. (Dr. Luke Beno, M.D., Pediatrician, Kaiser Permanente)




• Make a rule that no one in the family can eat while watching television. It’s hard for kids to realize how much they are eating, when they’re absorbed in a television program. (Dr. Luke Beno, M.D., Pediatrician, Kaiser Permanente)




• Find ways to get the entire family more active. Have everyone in the family wear a pedometer — and compete to see who can take the most steps during the day. If the child wins, reward them with a fun activity. If the child loses, assign them an active chore. (Dr. Luke Beno, M.D., Pediatrician)




• Do not make your family give up foods they love. Instead, find healthier ways to prepare these foods. For example, frozen French fries can be baked instead of fried. Cheesecake or macaroni and cheese can be made with a low-fat cheese. Take a cooking class to get your family excited about healthy recipes. (Dr. Luke Beno, M.D., Pediatrician)

Resources

• Kaiser Permanente
• Centers For Disease Control and Prevention
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• U.S. Department of Agriculture

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