ProActive Kids targets childhood obesity - register for Elmhurst Hospital's fall session

ProActive Kids (PAK), in partnership with Elmhurst Hospital, has spots open for its fall session to be held September 21 – November 13 at the Addison Park District’s Club Fitness, 1776 W. Centennial Place in Addison.

PAK, a community effort to address the childhood obesity epidemic, is a free program designed specifically for kids 8-14 who are struggling with unhealthy weight.

In ProActive Kids, children are engaged in a variety of activities Monday, Wednesday and Friday for eight weeks: PAK Fitness, PAK Nutrition and PAK Lifestyle. Each educational activity is designed to make a significant impact to educate the families on health and wellness, while building a foundation for life-long health. On Fridays, parents, guardians and other members of the child’s family participate in the activities and learn how they can also benefit from and support healthy lifestyle changes in their homes.

On average, children who complete the eight-week program see a decrease in their weight, a decrease in BMI (Body Mass Index) by .5 point, 1.57 percent body fat reduction, a 2.96 pound decrease in fat mass, a 1.53 pound increase in fat-free mass and an increase in social indicators such as body image and self-esteem. Kids and families are encouraged to sign up at www.proactivekids.org.

Comprehensive approaches to childhood obesity intervention, like those being undertaken by ProActive Kids and FORWARD (Fighting Obesity, Reaching Healthy Weight Among Residents of DuPage), are associated with modest declines in obesity rates. While the national obesity rate in recent years has held steady, DuPage County experienced a 1 percent decrease in public school BMI (Body Mass Index) rates in 2012-13, with the 2013-14 rates remaining stable, according to FORWARD.

For more information or to enroll, call (630) 681-1558, e-mail info@proactivekids.org or visit www.proactivekids.org.

Headquartered in Wheaton, the PAK program teams with healthcare organizations like Elmhurst Hospital to execute its mission of reversing the obesity trend, one community at a time. ProActive Kids, Elmhurst Hospital and Edward Hospital are active coalition partners in FORWARD, a DuPage County leadership collaborative whose goal is to improve the health and well-being of children and families in DuPage County.