Get Healthy Now! A new tool set for doctors to help obese children

The Get Healthy Action Plan, a new program and the brainchild of Cheryl Green, MD, a Med/Peds physician in the Department of Family Medicine, Kaiser Santa Rosa, offers the pediatrician and family physician tools to effectively guide obese children towards a healthier lifestyle.   Children age 2 years and older presenting for well child visits or for visits with weight concerns and whose BMI is greater than the 95th percentile, are the targeted patients.  The families will be asked by the Medical Assistant to fill out an “Initial Assessment” form.  This form asks about the child’s family history, dietary habits, screen time and physical activity.  Answers considered red flags from this questionnaire will be reviewed by the doctor and the family during their visit. 

After identifying healthy habits the family and child can improve upon, a plan for setting short term goals will be made.    These goals are then documented on a form called “Changes I Am Making to Keep Healthy”.    A reward for the child, often in the form of a family activity for achieving these goals, is also integrated into this plan.   The physician then follows-up with a series of phone calls every one to two months, reviewing the specific goals with the parent.   A final 6 month clinic visit is documented on a form called “Get Healthy Action Plan – Follow up”.

 This program, now being launched in all Kaiser medical centers in Northern California, has already completed pilot projects in Santa Rosa and Santa Clara.  The program was implemented in 2010-2011 in Santa Rosa and preliminary data showed that 70% of children had an improvement in their BMI towards the normal curve after 5 months.

 Search "get healthy" in the Clinical Library for the questionnaire forms for the initial assessment, goals and changes, and follow up (these forms are in both English and Spanish, for children ages 2 to 12 years, and also for teens).

Please watch a brief video by Dr. Green demonstrating a visit using the Get Healthy Action Plan: 

 To view the Recording of the Get Healthy Weight Management Webinar with Dr Green and MOC credit, on March 9, 2012:

note: No CME credit is available for viewing the recorded webinar.

Soon to be released a short video on KP HealthConnect; resources to assist with care of weight related issues.  Check the "What's New, How To" web page for more information

Editor’s Commentary:

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has demonstrated an increasing prevalence of obesity in all pediatric age groups.  As of 2010, 21-24% of American children and adolescents are overweight, and 16-18% are obese.  These numbers are expected to rise in the coming years.  Some experts have opined that due to obesity, the current generation of America’s children will have a lower life expectancy than their parents. 

However, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2011 showed that obese children who achieve a normal BMI by adulthood will have similar risks of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes as do people who were never obese.

Obesity is a complex problem that presents medical and psychosocial challenges to the pediatrician. Obese children are at risk of serious diseases and a shorter life expectancy.  The Get Healthy Action Plan is a helpful and critical tool for the clinician to use at this time. It should be routinely implemented at all appropriate visits.

References:  (Juonala M, Magnussen CG, Berenson GS, et al. Childhood adiposity, adult adiposity, and cardiovascular risk factors. N Engl J Med. Nov 17 2011;365(20):1876-85.)