Shapedown Pediatric Obesity Program Review

Shapedown is a nationally recognized pediatric weight management program that was developed at the University of California San Francisco, School of Medicine. The faculty members participating in the creating the program were from the departments of nutrition, exercise physiology, endocrinology, psychology, family therapy, adolescent medicine, family medicine and behavioral and developmental pediatrics - making it the most comprehensive program of its kind.

The mission of Shapedown is to treat obesity in youths ages 8 to 18 in a family-based program, and help them and their families improve nutrition and overall health. The program is sensitive to the physical, emotional and social needs of children and teens. Its goal is to enhance their self-esteem, improve their peer and family relationships and teach them about health, genetics and the benefits of healthier habits as they begin to normalize their weight healthily and gradually, at no more than 2 pounds lost per week. The program is 10 weeks long, and consists of weekly education/counseling sessions, weekly exercise sessions, lessons in a parent workbook and lessons in the child/teen workbook. The sessions include work on nutrition, problem solving, communication techniques, parenting skills, stress management techniques and body image therapy. The Shapedown program is available through accredited hospitals and healthcare institutions, and your child must be referred by a physician to participate. The cost is negotiable, determined by family income and number of participating family members.

Pediatric obesity research has shown that treatment that does not encompass the family has no long-term success, whereas family-based treatment has been shown to be effective even at 10-year follow-up. The Shapedown curriculum is regularly reviewed and revised to stay current with scientific and clinical data on childhood obesity and its treatment successes. If you are unable to participate in the comprehensive program, you can order the Shapedown parent and child workbooks from the www.shapedown.com website for $24.95 plus $4 shipping/handling. If your child needs help with obesity, run, don't walk to Shapedown.