Oakwood Healthcare System in Dearborn, Michigan Links With Madonna University to Offer Diet, Exercise Advice
Deedee Pearson and her husband both struggle with weight-related health problems.
So when their 8-year-old son, Chris, started having a weight problem too, their pediatrician referred the whole family to Oakwood Healthcare System's Shapedown program.
The 10-week program tackles childhood obesity by teaching families how to reshape not only their figures, but their lifestyles.
"I eat a lot more apples and bananas now, and a lot less pizza and tacos," Chris said. "I still get to eat them, but not as much. "It teaches you to eat better and exercise more."
Oakwood Healthcare System was recently honored with the Flame of Excellence Award from Madonna University for its efforts to combat childhood obesity. Oakwood, in Dearborn, and Madonna, in Livonia, have collaborated on a number of programs aimed at the problem, including Shapedown and a health fair this spring for parents and children at Dearborn's Becker Elementary School.
"This year, (the Flame of Excellence Award) was specifically regarding initiatives that had to do with obesity in children," said Maureen Leen, a professor of nursing at Madonna. "We thought that (this) was extraordinarily innovative, and it will be able to continue with the involvement of schools, parents and other community members."
Deedee Pearson suffers from diabetes, and her husband, also named Chris, has high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Young Chris suffers from asthma, his mom said.
"Because I'm overweight and diabetes runs in the family, (the pediatrician) was worried that was going to be an issue for him in life," Deedee Pearson said. "The whole family came, that's one of the nice things about it."
The Pearson family -- including 5-year-old Elisha, who is not overweight -- met with seven other families for 10 weekly sessions at the Taylor Sportsplex. Oakwood started the Shapedown program last year, and has held two 10-week sessions so far. Another session will start in October.
"The program really focuses on family change instead of saying 'Your child has a problem,' " said Christie Wilkewitz, health promotion coordinator for Oakwood Healthcare System. "The focus is on really being healthy rather than focusing on the weight number.
"If they're used to a certain habitual pattern, it's hard for one person to break that; they all have to work together."
During class, the families first met as a group. Then they divided into sessions: parents in one group, kids in another.
"There was the nutritionist, the nurse, the social workers and they worked on it as a lot of pieces of a puzzle," Pearson said. "The kids did obstacle courses, walking, dancing.
"The kids learned an exercise routine and then they'd bring the parents over and show us how to do it."
Each group talked about how their behaviors and family dynamics affect their health.
"With the parents, a lot of times there's guilt and depression and a lot of different issues that surround this," Wilkewitz said. "They have issues with weight or food that they're passing on to their children and it's a continuing cycle.
"A lot of these children find their voice in this class, because prior to the class they're usually the quiet child who internalizes," Wilkewitz added. "They find out there are other kids like them, and that they're not alone, and they learn communication techniques so that they can talk to their parents."
Oakwood employees will monitor the families for at least one year. Families that want to repeat the class can take "Advanced Shapedown."
Deedee Pearson said her family is on their way to making the lifestyle changes recommended in the program.
Oakwood didn't weigh the Pearsons at the end of the program, but Chris was wearing a size smaller jeans and his dad had lost 10 pounds. Deedee didn't know if she'd lost weight.
"The thing I've come away with is, it's a lifestyle change," Deedee Pearson said. "It's not a diet."
Reprinted with permission of the Detroit News. |