Description
The Department of Pediatrics’ Nutrition & Fitness for Life Program (NFL Program) is an innovative clinical and community-centered obesity treatment and prevention program. Through unique interventions, initiatives, and collaborations, the NFL Program seeks to support children and families in leading healthier lives.
The NFL clinic, a specialty weight management clinic, provides intensive medical, nutritional, behavioral, and physical activity counseling to complicated, obese patients and their families through individual treatment tracks. The clinic is devoted to helping children and families make broad improvements in nutrition and fitness related behaviors, while simultaneously addressing the underlying contributory medical, behavioral, and social factors. In addition to clinical services, patients are offered practical and engaging cooking demonstrations, accessible fitness and nutrition programming, and opportunities to socialize.
The Nutrition & Fitness for Life Program’s community branch aims to build the capacity of communities to support Boston youth and families in developing healthier lifestyles. To do so, the Program develops and implements nutrition education and fitness programming for children and families.
The NFL program develops and hosts workshops, conferences, and seminars for health professionals and area youth workers. The program also advocates for positive environmental changes and health policies, serves as a consultant group for new pediatric weight management programs, and is involved in research and education.
Background
The Nutrition and Fitness for Life (NFL) program was initiated in 05/2002 by Dr. Apovian and Dr. Zuckerman as a pilot specialty clinic project to identify the feasibility and success of an adolescent weight management clinic. The pilot clinic offered medical, nutritional, and physical activity counseling with adjunct initiatives.
The program was expanded in the summer 2003 under the leadership of Dr. Lenders and Ms. Morris who focused on the pediatric weight management clinic and community-based interventions, respectively.
At present, the NFL program is a multidisciplinary program that targets children and adolescents who are overweight or obese. Its clinic curriculum is centered on a psychology model and its community curriculum is centered on a peer-leader model.
The NFL program serves approximately 400 families through its two arms, provides education and training to primary and specialty health providers, community leaders, under/graduate students, and medical students.
Program Contact Information:
Nutriton and Fitness for Life Program
Department of Pediatrics
Boston Medical Center
One Boston Medical Center Place
Dowling 3 South
Boston, MA 02118
Tel: (617) 414-6876
Fax: (617) 414-3644
Email: nfl.program@bmc.org
