Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
OGDEN — The Torres family tries to keep their fridge stocked with plenty of fruits and vegetables, and they're trying to cook healthier.
"When we make cupcakes, instead of putting oil we put the applesauce. And the same with the brownies, we put applesauce on that," said 19-year-old Brenda Torres.
The family has also made an effort to exercise more.
"I had asthma, and it's not that bad anymore," Daniel Torres, 12, said, "but before I started the program I wouldn't be able to run as fast."
Daniel had other health problems, so his physician recommended the family participate in a Weight to Health class for kids through the McKay-Dee Hospital.
"I, like, never knew about what I've been eating until she actually talked about it," Daniel said.
In Utah, only 17 percent of adolescents surveyed were active for a total of one hour per day, and almost 15 percent drank soda at least once a day — and that doesn't include diet sodas.
Besides healthy eating and exercise, Health to Weight instructor Joy Musselman also teaches kids how to build their self-confidence.
"And also how to appreciate diversity in other people, because everybody does look different and it's OK to not live an exact mold of somebody else," Musselman said.
The class isn't about the numbers on the scale.
"Because that's not necessarily the goal," Musselman said. "(The kids are) still growing, so if their weight stays stable and then they grow taller, then that's actually an improvement."
When the entire family focuses on making changes, the child in the family who needs the most support from those changes is far more successful than when the focus is placed only on that child.
–Nikki Mihalopoulos, family medicine physician
Instead, the program focuses on getting the entire family involved in these changes.
Nikki Mihalopoulos, an adolescent medicine physician, said the research is clear when it comes to family involvement.
"When the entire family focuses on making changes, the child in the family who needs the most support from those changes is far more successful than when the focus is placed only on that child," Mihalopoulos said.
Healthy lifestyle changes are particularly important with children. In Utah, of children ages 2 to 5, almost 9 percent are obese.
"Children can make changes a lot easier, and it's so much longer lasting because they have so much life left to live," Musselman said.
Mihalopoulos, who also has a preventative cardiology clinic at the university, said parents can set their children up for success early on.
"I encourage families to have their kids help with meal preparation," she said, "meal planning and preparations. Because those are the skills that kids need to have as they become adults."
Brenda Torres said with the support of her family, "it's better. If all of a family works together on changing, it helps to go into a healthier lifestyle."
They've stuck with their new habits since they finished the program six months ago.
"It's, like, really exciting because you know you've done a great accomplishment in life," Daniel said.
Email: ebench@ksl.com
