Forsyth Medical Center 
2004 News Releases
Local physicians react to new study on adolescent obesity
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June 15, 2004 Contact: Julie Moore (336) 718-4050 or (336) 770-9641 (Pager) |
WINSTON-SALEM, June 15-Local physicians are reacting to a new study to be published in tomorrow's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), which found that the high rate of overweight and obesity in the United States remains a major public health concern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 65 percent of adults are overweight, 30 percent are obese, and almost 5 percent are extremely obese. Among children ages six to 19, 31 percent were at risk for overweight, and 16 percent were overweight.
Gretchen Hoyle, M.D., a local pediatrician and medical director for the Sara Lee Center for Women's Health Healthy Family Adolescent Weight Management Program, says she is seeing the problem of overweight young people right here in the Triad.
"Everyday we are seeing more and more overweight children and adolescents in the pediatric clinic," said Dr. Hoyle. "At the same time, we are learning more about the serious health problems associated with being an overweight young person. Obesity is a significant threat to the health of our children."
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services identified overweight and obesity as one of the ten leading health indicators in its recent report, Healthy People 2010. This week's study in JAMA finds that much more progress is needed in order to reach the government's goal of reducing overweight and obesity in the United States by the year 2010.
Being overweight in adolescence can lead to serious health problems now and in the future. For example:
- Overweight children and adolescents are more likely to develop high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other risk factors for heart disease than children with a healthy weight.
- Type 2 diabetes, which has previously been linked to overweight and obesity in adults, has increased dramatically in children and adolescents.
- Overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults. The chance increases to 80 percent if one or both parents are overweight or obese as well.
- Children say the most immediate consequence of being overweight is social discrimination, which can lead to poor self-esteem and depression.
Forsyth Medical Center's Sara Lee Center for Women's Health is doing its part to help reduce the number of overweight adolescents, by teaching them about nutrition and exercise. The center offers the Healthy Family Adolescent Weight Management Program, a 12-week program aimed at teaching overweight adolescent girls and their families to make healthier lifestyle choices. The program, developed by Dr. Hoyle and certified K-12 counselor Kirsten Davis, has three main components: nutrition, motivation and exercise. The program is open to girls ages 10-18 and their parents. For more information about signing up for the Healthy Family Adolescent Weight Management Program, call 718-3790. New sessions begin quarterly.
In addition, the Sara Lee Center for Women's Health has partnered with WXII-TV and Food Lion LLC to offer a unique public service initiative called Adolescent Health: Choices for a Lifetime. The program offers free, educational materials to help families make healthful choices in food purchasing, preparation, and substitution, as well as in fitness and exercise. For more information, call (888) 218-1234.
The Sara Lee Center for Women's Health is the second largest birthing center in North Carolina, with more than 6,500 births annually. The center offers a Level III/IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with some of the highest success rates in the country in caring for high-risk babies, as well as a range of clinical and educational services for women at all stages of life.
