The Healthy Lifestyles Program is a six-month, intensive, family-centered lifestyle management intervention for families with overweight children ages 0 to 18.

Eligibility

To participate in the Healthy Lifestyles Program, patients must meet the following requirements:

• Patients must be overweight. For children, this means their body mass index (BMI) is at or above the 85th percentile. (Use the calculators created by the Centers for Disease Control to see if your child is at risk.)
• Fasting labs must be completed for all children age three or older.
• The parent or guardian must be willing to commit to six monthly appointments for the intensive phase of the program.
• A referral from your child's primary care physician is preferred but not mandatory.

If you meet the eligibility requirements, either you or your child’s physician may refer the patient to the Healthy Lifestyles Program and schedule an appointment.

Screening Visit

Before your first visit, you will be mailed a letter of introduction and three forms that should be filled out and brought with you to your first appointment. You may also download these forms from DukeChildrens.org.

You will meet with one of the Healthy Lifestyles medical providers who will perform a comprehensive history and physical to identify underlying medical causes of obesity, risk factors for chronic illness, and lifestyle risk factors.

Intensive Phase

After the initial visit, you and your child will have monthly visits for five months. These visits will be with your personalized Healthy Lifestyles team.

As part of this phase, you and your dietitian will develop meal plans and identify dietary needs based on medical conditions in the family. You and your physical therapist will get moving on our treadmill, lifting weights, balancing on the exerball, and improving flexibility.

You may meet individually with our eating disorders specialist, who will help you view food positively (not with guilt or shame).

Additionally during this phase, you may choose to participate in our teen exercise group (Active Teens) or in one of the Healthy Lifestyles support groups. During this phase, it is all about what you need to get -- and how to stay -- motivated.

Maintenance Phase

Once you and your child complete the intensive phase, you will be offered the option to move into the maintenance phase.

This is a check-in visit every six months to ensure you are staying on track. You may continue these visits indefinitely. If you ever need to re-enter the intensive phase, you may do so.

Make an Appointment

For new and return appointments, please call 919-620-5356 or e-mail us at healthylifestyles@duke.edu.

Physicians

Physicians offering this service include:

• Armstrong, Sarah C.
  • Pediatrics / Pediatrics-Primary Care
• Bailey, Michelle L.
  • Pediatrics / Pediatrics-Primary Care
• Mangarelli, Caren
  • Pediatrics / Pediatrics-Primary Care
• Zucker, Nancy L.
  • Psychiatry / Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Locations

This service is available at:

• Duke Health Center at Roxboro Street
  4020 North Roxboro Street, Durham, NC 27704