CLEVELAND – University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital is hosting a health forum with Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones on Saturday, September 15, 2007 from noon until 2:00 p.m. to discuss with parents and children “the trinity issues” of obesity, diabetes and nutrition. The program will feature Rainbow’s Healthy Kids Healthy Weight program in an interactive exercise session with the Congresswoman and participating children and families.
“We are so pleased to be teaming up with Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones to help educate children and families about the obesity epidemic that is adversely impacting our youth,” said Fred C. Rothstein, M.D., President, University Hospitals Case Medical Center. “Rainbow’s Healthy Kids Healthy Weight is a premier program in the area that makes it fun for kids to change their diet and start exercising, and our team of superior physician scientists is leading the way in obesity and diabetes research with projects like the TODAY study. We are proud to participate in this educational and informative session with the Congresswoman and the community.”
The Congresswoman will begin her two-hour visit at Rainbow with a tour of the dialysis unit, and then head to the Rainbow Performance Area for a session with the leaders of the Healthy Kids Healthy Weight program.
“I am really looking forward to working out with the kids,” said Tubbs Jones. “Obesity in children is reaching epidemic proportions. The number of overweight children has doubled in the last three decades. But early treatment of an overweight child can improve their well-being and prevent disease. Additionally, it is extremely important that we teach our young people at an early age how to live a healthy lifestyles including a proper diet and exercise”
The Healthy Kids, Healthy Weight team of specialists works with the child's family to tailor a program for their unique needs. The team consists of physicians, psychologists and experts in dietetics, exercise physiology and nursing.
The Saturday session will highlight three key areas for kids: nutrition, exercise and behavior changes. The group, including Tubbs Jones, will exercise and participate in interactive games with the team leaders. The program will end with a panel discussion and Q&A format regarding obesity, diabetes and nutrition.
Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital is a leader in diabetes research, and many of the children attending the event are participants in the multi-center TODAY study. TODAY stands for Treatment Options for type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth.
TODAY is a nationwide research study to find the best ways to treat young people with type 2 diabetes. Rainbow recruits children who have type 2 diabetes and are between 10 to 17 years old to be in the study.
TODAY wants to compare different ways to treat young people with type 2 diabetes. The different treatments include making changes in eating habits and physical activity, and taking different combinations of medicines.