One in five children in the United States are obese. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
The good news is that childhood obesity can be prevented! In honor of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, the Alliance encourages our medical providers and community partners to discuss with families how to make healthy changes together.
In an effort to educate families and reduce childhood obesity, the Alliance offers the Healthy Weight for Life (HWL) program workshops. The HWL workshops are available for parents/guardians of Alliance members ages 2-18 with a Body Mass Index (BMI) at or above the 85th percentile.
The HWL workshops utilize the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program curriculum. The curriculum is a comprehensive, evidence-based program designed to strengthen families by:
- Helping parents/guardians understand and promote healthy social-emotional development in their children.
- Teaching parents/guardians simple and effective strategies for handling everyday parenting challenges.
- Helping parents/guardians understand and incorporate healthy lifestyle changes for the family.
The Alliance offers Healthy Weight for Life program workshops as 10 weekly meeting sessions. It’s currently available in both virtual and in-person group formats. Additionally, the program is available in English and Spanish. Parents/guardians of Alliance members who attend the 10-week HWL workshop series can receive a Target gift card of up to $100 and will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a bike.
Alliance members can be referred to the program by their Primary Care Provider by submitting a Health Education and Disease Management referral form found on our provider website. Providers and Alliance members can also call the Alliance Health Education Line at 800-700-3874, ext. 5580 for additional information.
Source: CDC Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity
