The Nutrition and Fitness for Life program in the Boston Medical Center (BMC) Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Nutrition, is an innovative clinical and community-centered obesity prevention and treatment program. Through unique interventions, initiatives and collaborations, Nutrition and Fitness for Life seeks to support children to age 18 and their families in leading healthier lives.
Nosso Trabalho
The Nutrition and Fitness for Life program serves approximately 400 families through its two arms, provides education and training to primary and specialty health providers, community leaders, undergraduate students and medical students.
- In the community. The Nutrition and Fitness for Life program’s community branch aims to build the capacity of communities to support Boston youth and families in developing healthier lifestyles by developing and implementing nutrition education and fitness programming for children and families.
- In the healthcare field. Nutrition and Fitness for Life develops and hosts workshops, conferences, and seminars for health professionals and area youth workers. The program also serves as a consultant group for new pediatric weight management programs.
- For the environment. The program also advocates for positive environmental changes and health policies and is involved in public health research and educational activities.
Our History
Nutrition and Fitness for Life was founded in 2002 by Caroline M. Apovian, MD, who at the time directed BMC’s Center for Weight Management and Nutrition, and Barry Zuckerman, MD, then chair of the Department of Pediatrics, as a clinical pilot 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 under the leadership of Carine Lenders, MD, and clinical dietician Vivien Morris, who focused on the pediatric weight management clinic and community-based interventions.
Hi-5 Way
In 2009, the clinic began a secondary prevention program called “Hi-5 Way” that focuses on children from 6 months to 6 years of age who are overweight or rapidly gaining weight to an extent that they may face increased risk. For more information about Hi-5 Way, please see our program brochure (PDF) and the eligibility criteria below.
Entre em contato conosco
Departamento de Pediatria
Telefax: 617.414.3644
Departamentos e Programas Relacionados
Atenção primária pediátrica
Cuidados pediátricos
Medicina do Adolescente
Medicina de família
Cardiology (Pediatrics)
Ouvido, nariz e garganta (pediatria)
Endocrinology (Pediatrics)
Nutrition (Pediatrics)
Psychiatry (Pediatrics)
Pulmonary and Allergy Clinic (Pediatrics)
Tratamentos e serviços
The Nutrition and Fitness for Life program's specialty weight management clinic provides a comprehensive family and behavioral approach, as this is the sole evidence-based approach in pediatrics that has proven successful in treating obesity in children. However, many families are not ready for behavior management and need counseling sessions on roles and responsibilities, communication, and motivation.
O programa principal se concentra na motivação e prontidão para mudar. The initial visit includes a physician and dietitian visit for in-depth medical, nutritional, and physical activity assessment of the patient, as well as a psychological screening. No final da visita, é desenvolvido um plano de ação para a família.
A typical patient receives the following services each year:
- Avaliação e avaliação por médico e nutricionista
- A lifestyle change intervention (action plan) with intensive treatment during 6 clinic visits within 3 to 6 months, followed by maintenance visits up to 1 year
- Plano de tratamento do psicólogo baseado na triagem inicial
- Visitas de manutenção e prevenção de recaídas com a equipe clínica
Complex Medical Issues
A equipe clínica de Nutrição e Aptidão para a Vida acompanha crianças com problemas médicos mais complexos com mais frequência. Care plans are developed in conjunction with primary care and other subspecialties, such as cardiology, endocrinology, otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat or ENT), psychology/psychiatry, and sleep medicine.
Approximately 13 percent of Nutrition and Fitness for Life patients require ongoing mental health counseling because stigmatization, depression, and diminished quality of life from teasing and social marginalization are part of the profound psychological impact of being overweight.
Duração
Nutrition and Fitness for Life is designed as a 12-month clinical program that includes 3 to 6 months of intensive treatment followed by maintenance sessions. O programa adapta o atendimento às necessidades de cada família.
Elegibilidade
A referral from a primary care physician (PCP) is required for evaluation and treatment in the Nutrition and Fitness for Life clinic.
| Hi-5 Way (Secondary Prevention) 6 months to age 2 | Hi-5 Way (Secondary Prevention) 2 to 6 years | Nutrition and Fitness for Life Clinic 6 a 18 anos ou mais | |
| Child Size or Rapidity of Weight Gain | Weight-for-Length greater than or equal to 95th percentile — and/or — Cruzando percentis de peso para idade
| BMI-for-Age greater than or equal to 95th percentile — or — BMI greater than 22 kg/m2 | BMI-for-Age greater than 95th percentile |
| Tentativas anteriores de controlar o peso | Not applicable | Not applicable | At least 3 to 6 months trial with their primary care physician (PCP) and then 3 to 6 months of work with an outpatient registered dietitian/nutritionist |
| Prontidão para mudar | Parent/guardian is in preparation for action | Parent/guardian is in preparation for action | For a Child ≤ 12 Years For a Teenager (13–18) |
Nossa equipe
- Aimée Lim-Miller, MSW, LICSW
Assistente social - Kathy Ireland, MS, RD, LDN
Nutricionista Clínica e Coordenadora do Programa - Eunice Santos
Administrative and Scheduling Coordinator
Para profissionais médicos
Encaminhar um paciente
We are committed to providing a high level of assistance to our physician colleagues both within BMC and outside of the BMC system. Whether for diagnostics, treatment, a single consultation, second opinion, or ongoing follow-up, our physicians will keep the consulting physician fully informed of the patient's treatment plan and coordinate long-term management.
- For BMC PCPs: Please complete the referral form in MyHealth.
- For Non-BMC PCPs: Please complete referral form, attach the patient’s growth charts and relevant recent lab work, and return the form via fax.
Admit or Transfer a Patient
Para transferir ou admitir um paciente, ligue para nosso serviço de admissão de pacientes de plantão, acessível 24/7.
Pager: 617.638.5795, #1111.
Confirmações
The Nutrition and Fitness for Life clinic has received funding for patients and clinical operations from the BMC Department of Pediatrics; BMC Kids Fund; American Heart Association; Bank of America; Boston Red Sox Foundation; Fleet Perpetual Trust for Charitable Giving; Loomis, Sayles & Company, LP; Massachusetts Vitamin Litigation Settlement; and the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation.
Nutrition and Fitness for Life thanks the following individuals for their service to the program:
Former Program Staff and Consultants
- Tara Agrawal, MPH
- Caroline Apovian, MD, FACN
- Lee Banh, MS, RD
- Melanie Bradford, MS, RD
- Ângela Brown
- Emily Burritt, MS, RD, CNSD
- Shirley Cole
- Diana Cullum-Dugan, RD, LD
- Emily Cummings, MS, RD
- Seth Eberlin
- Judith Fallows, MEd
- Júlia Hincman
- Cheryl Jesuíta, MS, RD
- Tanya Jones
- Lakshmi Kolagotla, MD, MPH
- Preeta Kuty, MD
- Shaheen Lakhani, PsyD.
- Jason Langheier
- Kayoung Lee, MD, PhD
- Dra. Margaret Marino
- Holly Oh, MD
- Lauren Oliver, MS, RD
- Renea Page
- Hope Parsons, RD, LDN
- Judy Philips, MS, RD, LDN
- Gita Rao
- Amaru Sanchez
- Esther Shamir
- Rishi Shukla
- Vijay Srinivasan MD, MPH
- Pooja Tandon, MD
- Laura Vinci
- Robert Vinci, MD
- Laura Wroblewski, RD, LDN
Former Community Volunteers/Interns and Consultants
- Affiliate Media, LLC
- Sarah Bartellman
- Jessica Blom-Hoffman, PhD
- Analyn Brondyke
- Wil Bullock
- Seth Coburn
- Kerri Connelly
- Ashley Decker
- Rachel DeGarmo
- Neville DePass
- Nativita D’Haitii, RD
- Judith Fallows, MEd
- Débora Fogel
- Pamela Griffin
- Doreen Guay
- Kelly Horton
- Abby Isaacson
- Carline Jean-Baptiste, PhD
- Eva Joseph
- Ellen Kaspik
- Amanda Kirpitch
- Liana Larkisova
- Phoebe Lott
- Michele Lye
- Julianne Marvin
- Samara Mbugua
- Carolyn Murphy
- Lucilda Dassardo-Cooper
- Koren Melfi
- Hannah Milch
- Kathleen Minihan
- Darrick Mitchell
- Elizabeth Palazzo
- Maria Pontes Ferriera
- Lindsay Rayfield-ElShazly
- Amy Richmond
- Tamara Rudich
- Alina Schmidt
- Esther Shamir
- Khalia Smith
- Bárbara Tanenbaum
- Michael Tang
- Scott Tropy, MPH
- Ruth Weinstein
- Marcianne Wittwer
- Cindy Xi
Educação e treinamento
Nutrition and Fitness for Life participates in various education and training programs for medical professionals, including:
- Advanced pediatric nutrition elective for fourth-year Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine students
- Integração vertical de nutrição e controle de peso no currículo da faculdade de medicina
- CMEs e CEUs anuais para profissionais de saúde com interesses em controle de peso ambulatorial pediátrico
- Educação nutricional para famílias e líderes comunitários
- Mais de 200 apresentações regionais e nacionais