Some families prefer to work on their own, with recommendations from health experts. Others benefit from structured diabetes prevention programs. However, if your child’s blood sugar isn’t under control and you see that lifestyle changes are happening very slowly, it’s time to get experts involved, says Kerri Boutelle, Ph.D, expert in weight loss programs for obese children and adolescents.
Programs in which both children and parents participate and share ideas with other families are helpful, according to Dr. Patricia Cantrell, a pediatrician with Kaiser-Permanente, which offers Kids in Dynamic Shape, a six-week interactive program in which children and their parents learn to eat more healthfully and get more physical activity.
The degree of information you’ll receive should be tailored to your family’s needs.
“Sometimes you only have to talk about eliminating soft drinks. For other families, it’s portion size and everyone needs to be instructed,” Dr. Cantrell says.
Dr. Joseph Skelton agrees on the need for personalized support for families.
He’s director of the Brenner FIT program, a family-centered approach to weight management for children with health problems related to their weight.
“A desirable program will be respectful of and responsive to your preferences, needs and values,” he says.
Your family is more likely to improve their lifestyle if you’re asked to examine your unhealthy habits and find a few that can be changed, rather than get a generic prescriptive list.
“We want families to pick something that’s important to them,” he says.
For many, the choice involves spending more time together as a family, according to Dr. Skelton.