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The University of Florida is offering a new weight management program geared toward the families of overweight children in Alachua County. The program, Fun & Fit Families, is a family based lifestyle intervention that allows children and parents to work together to make healthy dietary and physical activity changes in their lives.

鈥淭he earlier we鈥檙e able to deal with obesity, the more successful we will be,鈥� said Janet Silverstein, M.D., a professor of . 鈥淎 program such as this that can address lifestyle change and discuss issues in a group setting is much more effective than trying to provide counseling in a clinic setting.鈥�

Fun & Fit Families is a collaboration of three UF colleges, including the , the and the . The effectiveness of the program on children鈥檚 heart disease risk factors, including dietary intake, physical activity and blood vessel stiffness will be studied by Silverstein, principal investigator, and , Ph.D., an associate professor of clinical and health psychology. Results will be used to continually improve the program with the long-term goal of expanding its reach.

The program will focus on children who are overweight and obese by helping families make gradual changes in their choices and manage real-life situations. Fun & Fit Families, which is free to families who qualify, is designed for children ages 8 to 12 with an above-average body mass index based on age and gender norms. Ideas for snack preparation and physical activity are provided at every session for both parents and children, emphasizing the opportunities to eat healthy snacks and highlighting fun ways to stay physically active.

鈥淭his type of family program has been the most successful, as it focuses on helping parents and children work together in a supportive, fun environment to make changes for the entire family,鈥� Janicke said.

The 16-week program will begin at the end of April. Families will meet weekly for eight weeks and then bi-weekly for eight weeks at the Southwest Advocacy Group Family Resource Center at 807 SW 64th Terrace. There will also be four participant assessment visits throughout the program at the same location.鈥淗osting Fun & Fit Families in Gainesville makes it easily accessible,鈥� said Silverstein. 鈥淚t is our hope that the groups will continue to meet after the program ends to offer continued support and motivation to each other.鈥�

The program, which is funded by the American Academy of Pediatrics鈥� Community Access to Child 网红黑料 program and the UF Department of Pediatrics, is now recruiting participant families. For more information and to register for the program, call 352-334-1399.