Welcome Parents & Caregivers

Coming Tuesday, April 2nd, 7PM EST:

- Mindful Parenting for the Child with Obesity - Free 1 hour webinar by Mary Savoye, MS, RD, CDE, CMIP

RSVP here to get zoom link

Come to this free webinar and learn strategies to be more mindful when parenting a child with obesity. Mary has over 25 years of experience working with well-meaning parents who are exhausted and frustrated with their current approaches. Come learn how to find support and nurture your child to build a stronger relationship.

You have made an important decision to join this healthy lifestyle program with your child. Together, you will learn about nutrition, habit change, physical activity, and how each plays a role in health.

This program will have a team to help you. You and your child are important members of this team, but the actual lifestyle change will happen during your daily routine. In fact, involving the family is the best way to make healthful change.

We focus on health, not weight loss. We see improvements in health (e.g., improved blood sugars and cholesterol) without weight loss if children eat healthier and are more active. However, a modest weight loss can move the process along. Do not expect your child to lose large amounts of weight, that is not our goal. Our goal is for your child to stop the weight gain by becoming more aware of their eating habits, eating healthier, and moving more often than before.

In addition, this program is designed to improve your child’s self-image and self-esteem.

It is important that they not focus on physical appearance but, instead, on their wonderful qualities (some of which they may not yet be aware of!). We will need your help with this, as well. If we are all on the “same page,” we will send the same message to our children. Besides, a good dose of self-esteem benefits the entire family!

As a caregiver, you are your child’s role model--this is why we ask that you be so involved. If you are not practicing these new habits and ways of thinking, it will be hard for your child to try them and

make them stick. You do the grocery shopping so you will need to know which foods are healthiest. You serve most of the meals so you will need to learn about balancing meals. Our goal is to make healthy lifestyle changes for everyone in your family, not just the child who may be overweight.

In closing, be patient with yourself and your child. Changing habits takes time and practice so don’t be surprised if it takes a while to feel comfortable with new, healthful behavior. Let’s get started!

If you are a family looking for help, we have several options for you to choose from:

1. We can find you an in-person healthy lifestyle program near you.

2. We can connect you to a virtual healthy lifestyle program that is live.

3. You can watch healthy lifestyle program modules at your own convenience and be assigned a coach!

Contact us and let us know which of these options would suit you and your child best.

A Parent or Caregiver’s Support is a Vital Aspect of Our Program

Healthy meals and snacks provide the nutrition that children need to grow.  It is also critical for parents to be non-judgmental and supportive. The parent should be a good role model by adopting positive lifestyle habits, such as eating healthy foods and participating in physical activity (ideally, with your child).

The support of the entire family leads to the best results. We strongly advise that the parent not single out the child who has an unhealthy weight, but instead treat everyone in the home the same.

Focus on healthy behaviors and feeling strong, not an “ideal” body weight or other unrealistic goals. Teach and model positive attitudes toward food and physical activity.

We will discuss more about this topic during parent classes. Your attendance with your child at the program is key to their success.

Studies show children are far more successful at adopting a healthier lifestyle when parents are actively involved. In fact, we encourage the whole family to get involved. Healthy food and regular physical activity is good for everyone!

How Can Parents Help Their Children To Choose Healthy Lifestyles?

  • Encourage your child to make appropriate food choices through positive reinforcement and praise.

  • Take a positive approach. Talk more about healthy food choices than the unhealthy ones.

  • Choose fresh fruit instead of juice. Water is the best beverage choice.

  • Get to know your child’s eating habits away from home. Then plan the snacks and meals they eat at home to balance out their daily fat and nutrient intake.

  • Take active playtime seriously. Encourage family physical activity.

  • Limit TV, video game and computer time.

  • Discourage eating in front of the TV.

  • Buy healthy foods. Keep high calorie snacks and sugary drinks out of the house (limit these purchases).

  • Keep lots of fruits, vegetables, and healthy snacks in the house.

  • Be a good role model. Children often mimic their parents’ eating and physical activity habits.

  • Give your child lots of love, attention, and praise to boost their self-esteem.

  • Use non-food rewards. Do NOT use food as a reward—remember, food does not equal love.

Testimonies From Kids in the Program

  • "My self esteem has improved a lot and I’ve made new friends."

    Annie, 14 years old

  • “I learned a lot about better food choices and easy ways to move more often.”

    Patrick, 13 years old

  • "You never have to diet so you don’t feel deprived or like you’re doing something wrong."

    Annmarie, 16 years old

  • "It’s eating healthy my way!"

    Chloe, 9 year old

  • “I have the confidence to try out for sports now.”

    Alfredo, 14 year

  • “I can walk into any situation and use the non-diet approach the program has taught me and know that I made the best choice possible.”

    Diamond, 16 year old