Newton firm to help obese children and their families
There are words that must never be used when discussing Great Moves, a Newton company that plans to offer a treatment program for obese children and their families starting April 7.
One is "fat." The program's operators prefer "overweight." "Exercise" is out, too, replaced by "physical activity." And do not ever talk about "weight loss" - it's all about "behavior modification."
Great Moves says it is the first local business to address the explosion in childhood obesity in a comprehensive, holistic fashion. Stanley M. Goldstein, the company's president and cofounder, said it is a response to what has been labeled a nationwide childhood obesity epidemic.
"This is a new problem and a new marketplace," said Goldstein.
He cites statistics showing that 16 percent of children ages 16 to 19 in the United States are considered obese, compared to 11 percent in a study from the early 1990s, according to the National Business Group on Health, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit that represents large businesses on health policy issues. Obesity associated hospital costs for children tripled in the 20 years ending 1999, the group said.
There is no formal definition of childhood obesity. Some researchers consider boys with 25 percent body fat to be obese and set a 30 percent threshold for girls. The US Centers for Disease Control deems children obese if their body mass index - calculated from height and weight - is above the 95th percentile.
One of the problems in treating obese children is that after initial success in losing weight, many eventually regain the pounds, just as adults do. Great Moves says it hopes to counter that pattern by focusing on reinforcement through family participation - parents and children will attend weekly workshops together.
As part of the program, parents and children will meet with a physician, nutritionist, behavior specialist, and a fitness coach. There are periods of physical activity, which promote exercise as a game. According to Suzanne Rostler, a registered dietician at Children's Hospital who is also clinical director of Great Moves, many children do not look forward to exerting themselves.
"I have asked children what pops into their head when I mention the word 'exercise,' " she said. "I get back words including 'boring,' 'tiring,' and 'treadmill.' "
But the program is not inexpensive. It costs $3,000 for six months for one child and his or her parents. Some individual services, such as the physical checkup, might qualify for insurance reimbursement, said Goldstein, but it's up to clients to work out payments with insurers.
The company's facility on Needham Street in Newton includes a kitchen, where separate cooking classes will be held for adults and children.
"That way, overweight kids can bond with other overweight kids," Rostler said. She plans to emphasize food that features carbohydrates with low glycemic indexes, which she says convert more slowly into sugar. The cooking-class menu includes whole-wheat-crust pizza with tomato sauce, part-skim mozzarella cheese, kidney beans, and chick peas.
"Children might not eat a zucchini if somebody gave it to them, but they might if they cook it themselves," said Barbara Clarke, cofounder of the program and an associate director of marketing at the Boston University School of Management.
The program is based in part on research at Children's Hospital's Optimum Weight for Life program, which Rostler directs. Rewards, based on attendance - not losing weight - include temporary tattoos and iTunes gift certificates. "We would never reward kids for pounds lost," said Rostler. "The emphasis is on changing lifestyle patterns. We don't want kids or parents to focus on pounds."
Jeffrey Krasner can be reached at krasner@globe.com.
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