Healthy You for Life

About Us

Children who weigh more than they should risk serious health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Self-esteem and body image can also suffer. CHKD’s Healthy You for Life program helps overweight children avoid the medical and emotional complications associated with childhood obesity.

Our comprehensive program, developed in 2001, is designed to help children gain control of their weight to improve their health. Parents and children work together, focusing on nutrition, healthy eating, meal planning, physical activity, and emotional support.

The program involves medical clinic visits with year-long follow-up.

Who is Eligible? 

The program is for children ages 3 through 18 with weight-related health problems and a body mass index (BMI) greater than the 85th percentile. Your child’s primary care physician will help make this assessment. You must have a referral from your child’s physician to attend the Healthy You for Life program. Your physician will receive copies of the program’s recommendations and goals. 

Medical Clinic

Once enrolled, individual goals are set based on an evaluation from the registered dietitian, exercise specialist, and mental health specialist. Patients meet with clinic staff periodically for up to one year for continued guidance and encouragement. Because children who are overweight often struggle with emotional and social issues, mental health specialists address topics such as body image, self-esteem, and mindful eating.

Insurance Information

Health You for Life visits are billed to the patient’s insurance carrier as a regular physician practice. Patients are responsible for annual deductibles and co-payments. Co-payments for visits with our physician and nurse practitioner are billed as primary care visits, not specialists. However, specialist co-payments will apply for visits with the registered dietitian and behavioral specialist. There is no charge for sessions with the exercise physiologist.

Nutrition and Fitness Classes

Nutrition visits will include a meeting with a registered dietitian to discuss a variety of healthy eating topics for the entire family.  They include meal planning, stretching the grocery dollar, picky eaters, and mindful eating.

One-on-one visits with an exercise specialist will assess strength and cardiovascular endurance, monitor progress, and develop an activity plan.

Group Fitness Classes are currently on hold until later this year.

For more information about fitness classes, please call (757) 668-6654.