Why Children's

The Dean Foods LEAN (Lifestyle Exercise and Nutrition) Families program sponsored by Children's Medical Center Dallas is designed to provide patients and their families intensive weight management therapy to support them in achieving and maintaining lifelong habits of good nutrition and healthy activities.

Patients and their families will participate in:

• Lifestyle modification, physical activity, and nutrition education in 12 weekly group sessions and is organized into classes based on their age and spoken language.
  
• Identifying behaviors that could trigger overeating or choosing unhealthy foods including media influences, dining out, and inappropriate division of feeding responsibility between parent and child through group activities and games.
• The LEAN Families Program is the first comprehensive pediatric weight management program in North Texas.
• Children's is the first and only hospital in the nation to be certified for pediatric obesity education by The Joint Commission.
• The program provides medical evaluation and support from experts in pediatric nutrition and childhood overweight.
• The LEAN Families program is led by a board certified pediatrician with certification as a physician nutrition specialist.

The LEAN Families program teaches healthy life-style behaviors such as good nutrition and physical activity to the entire family. After completing the program, the patient and family are more likely to retain the healthy habits learned for the rest of their lives.

Interactive Guide to Healthier Eating

This online interactive guide was created to help children be more aware of nutritional content when choosing their meals. It has scenarios for dining out, choosing what to eat while at school and how to choose healthy snacks when at home.

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