A Peoria pediatrician is doing her part to fight childhood obesity.
One in five children under 18 years old is considered obese, a number that has held steady in recent years. Eight percent of children are considered severely obese – their Body Mass Index (BMI) is 120% over where is should be for their age and gender. That number has been on the increase, doubling in the span of just a few years.
It’s stats like those that convinced Dr. Amy Christison, a pediatrician and board-certified obesity specialist and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria (UICOMP) that something needed to be done for children who fell into those categories. She established Healthy Kids U in 2009 through OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois, adding a weight management clinic, where she serves as Medical Director, in 2012.
Healthy Kids U works with community partners in a variety of ways, helping children ages 8 – 15 and their families develop healthier habits.”In the program that’s community- based we would like them to learn about healthy eating, balanced eating, some tips about really trying to promote more healthy fluids rather than going with sugar beverages, trying to get good sleep, trying to get a lot of physical activity and during the physical activity portion trying to get families and children to do activities that make them feel really comfortable about moving,” explained Dr. Christison.
The next 10-week session with be at the Greater Peoria YMCA starting September 17. Classes run from 6-8 PM and cost just $20 per family, which includes access to the YMCA’s facilities during the duration of the program.
For more information on Healthy Kids U or to register, call (309) 624-9844.
