COACH Program for Childhood Obesity and Weight Management

Why choose the COACH Program for childhood obesity treatment?

Our COACH Program brings together a team of experts – including a physician, nurse practitioner, nurse, dietitian, psychologist and social worker – who specialize in helping kids lose weight and achieve a healthy lifestyle.

Our team knows that a child’s entire family needs to be involved to create the best chance at long-term lifestyle changes. That’s why they take a family-centered approach, and partner with both a child and their family to build skills around healthy eating and exercise.

The COACH program is designed for children between 2 and 17 years old who have a BMI at or above the 95th percentile. Your child's doctor can help determine if they’re eligible.

Medical evaluation

During your child’s first visit, a doctor will do a physical exam, ask questions about your family history and conduct lab tests. This evaluation will help rule out medical causes for weight gain (such as hormone issues) and identify any weight-related issues (such as high cholesterol, depression and anxiety). If we identify any issues, we will refer your child to the right specialist at Children’s Health℠ or in your community.

Follow-up care

After the first appointment, your child will meet with a COACH provider every three to six months to track their progress, answer questions and address any new health concerns.

Healthy eating is a family matter

If your child is gaining weight too fast or you’re looking for help in improving their meals and snacks, our Family Mealtime Program can help. Designed for families with children ages 2 to 8, this program will help your family establish healthy eating habits. The Family Mealtime Program includes:

• Combined visit with a physician, registered dietitian and behavior consultant once a month for six months

• An initial evaluation of your child’s health, medical condition, eating habits and behaviors, such as picky eating, food refusal and meltdown triggers

• Topic-specific visits, like creating good snacking habits or getting your child to try new foods

• A follow-up call between monthly visits to support your goals and answer questions

To enroll or for more information, call 214-456-5959.

Resources

• Physical Activity and Exercise for Kids

• Exercise Cards

The Center for Obesity and its Consequences in Health (COACH) Program is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of children with obesity and weight-related complications, like Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

We believe that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to helping children and their families establish healthy habits, lose weight and keep it off. That’s why we bring together a range of specialists to create personalized plans that address your child’s unique medical, nutritional, emotional and physical needs.