SHAPEDOWN® Clinic at The Children's Hospital
The Children’s Hospital Heart Institute offers the SHAPEDOWN® Program, a leading weight management program for children and teens, using a family approach. Our 10-week group program is taught by a multidisciplinary team of health professionals:
- Clinical social workers assist parents and other care-givers in improving family communication patterns, providing emotional support, and setting limits using a "shared control" method, as well as helping children to manage problems such as weight-teasing, expressing negative feelings, and eating for reasons other than hunger.
- Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists design fun, game-like, age-appropriate activities, and guide families in developing more active leisure time.
- The Registered Dietitian teaches families to provide a healthier food environment and encourages children and adolescents, through hands-on education, to be more mindful of their food choices.
The program also includes two years of individual follow up to reinforce the changes the family has already made and to problem solve through difficult situations that interfere with a family's long-term success. Since there are no clearly defined solutions to the problem of childhood obesity, the philosophy of the Shapedown program continues to be a non-diet approach. The educational goals are to help families become less food focused, find more active, social and life-enriching pursuits, and increase self-esteem and sense of responsibility.
The Shapedown method is also available on an individual basis, if preferred, and for preschool children ages 2-5.
A Pediatric Cardiologist is also available through our Lipid Clinic to evaluate hyperlipidemia and hypertension.
For questions or to schedule an appointment in the Shapedown or Lipid clinics, please call (720) 777-1234 or contact Marilyn Day , MS, RD.
