The Riverbrook Regional YMCA in Wilton is offering Healthy Weight and Your Child, a program designed to empower children between the ages of 7 and 13, with the support from their families, to reach a healthy weight and live a healthier lifestyle. The regional Y is one of 19 YMCAs in the U.S. to offer this program.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity now affects 17% of all children and adolescents in the United States — triple the rate from just one generation ago. Today, one in six children is living with obesity and one in three is overweight, which poses greater risks for a number of health problems such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and mental health issues.
Healthy Weight and Your Child emphasizes behavior changes to support healthy eating and physical activity. Through the leadership of Y staff, the yearlong evidence-based program engages a child and adult as a pair, so together they can understand how the home environment and other factors influence the choices that lead to a healthy weight.
To participate in the program, each child must be between the ages of 7 and 13, have a body mass index greater than or equal to the 95th percentile, be cleared by a healthcare provider, and be accompanied by an adult at every session.
For more information email Mary Ann Genuario, director of health and fitness, at magenuario@riverbrookymca.org or call 203-762-8384, ext. 282.