The March/April edition of Diabetes Self-Management Magazine reports “the prevalence of overweight and obese children has more than tripled since the 1970’s, and the situation is recognized by all stakeholders as a serious public health concern, if not an actual crisis.”
Park Ridge Hospital is proud to provide continued support to Kid Power, a free community outreach program designed to fight the ever increasing problem of childhood obesity. Kid Power has been serving Henderson, Buncombe and surrounding counties since October of 2005. The participating children and their families focus on nutrition, behavior and lifestyle change and exercise. The objectives of the program are for participants to reduce overall body weight, increase daily activity, and develop healthy eating patterns.
The Kid Power staff includes a Registered Dietitian, Registered Nurse, Respiratory Therapist, and Exercise Specialists. All children who participate in the program notice increased exercise endurance and significant improvements in activity level, strength, and flexibility. A number of the participants lose weight, inches and reduce their Body Mass Index (BMI).
To qualify for a referral into the Kid Power program, applicants must meet the following criteria: between the ages of 8 and 14; are now or are at risk of becoming overweight or obese; are willing to try a variety of exercises and make daily healthy food choices.
Kid Power is a 7 week, clinically supervised program. Classes meet three times per week, from 3:45 to 5:00 pm, at Park Ridge Hospital. Currently the program is FREE for qualified applicants. Referrals are presently being accepted for the next Kid Power session slated to begin May 6, 2008. For more information or to apply for Kid Power, contact Tiffani Tabor at (828) 650-6960 or tiffani.tabor@ahss.org.
Park Ridge Hospital is an acute care facility that has provided superior medical care with Christian compassion since 1910. The hospital is one of 37 hospitals in the U.S. belonging to Adventist Health System. For more information about Park Ridge Hospital, or about other hospital services, visit www.parkridgehospital.org. To request a copy of the Park Ridge Hospital Physician Directory, contact the Business Development office at (828) 687-3847.