Community Corner

Happy Kids, Smart Weight Program Offered

The program is the first of its kind in Washington County.

Are you struggling to help your child lose weight and make healthier choices?

Learn helpful and effective strategies by enrolling in the Happy Kids, Smart Weight program at the Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center of The Washington Hospital—just a short drive from .

A new session of the eight-week program begins on March 17.

Find out what's happening in Peterswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The first of its kind in Washington County, the program fights childhood obesity by combining nutritional guidance, physical exercise and behavior modification. The aim is to empower participants to make the types of healthy lifestyle choices.

“Our goal is to help give parents the tools they need to be good role models, and to show children the choices they have been making and motivate them to make more positive ones – while keeping it fun,” said Dr. Michael Faust, a pediatrician with Washington Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine who serves as an adviser for the program.

Find out what's happening in Peterswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Donna Compel has seen positive changes in her 12-year-old daughter Natalie since they participated in Happy Kids, Smart Weight.

“She’s definitely more aware. She drinks less soda, and when she eats out, she chooses salad,” Compel said. “But the biggest benefits are her greatly improved self-esteem and confidence.”

While Natalie loved being in activities and classes with her peers, her mother appreciated the program’s weekly accountability. 

“We set weekly goals for our family, such as take a walk or eat more fruits and vegetables,” Donna said, noting she was also pleasantly surprised to discover how smoothly they were able to incorporate more physical activity and better nutrition into their busy lifestyle.

That’s exactly the kind of change the program strives to achieve, notes Rebecca Feist, fitness operations director at the Wellness Center.

“We focus on educating and motivating children and their parents on sustainable lifestyle changes,” she says. Feist modeled Happy Kids, Smart Weight after a successful program she previously developed at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland. 

Openings are still available in the next session, which begins Saturday, March 17, and runs through May 5. 

Children with a body-mass index in the 85th percentile or above are eligible to participate. A doctor’s referral is required, as is participation by at least one family member.

In addition to the eight weekly sessions, participants will be evaluated before and after the program and involved in monthly group follow-up and support meetings for a full year.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here