SEATTLE - More teens than ever before are battling obesity. Now local teens have a great way to fight back, with a class that's a prescription for health.
When Emma Lyke got a doctor's prescription to combat extra pounds, the 13-year-old didn't expect it to be much fun.
Her mom Erin Clark discovered a program on a visit to Emma's doctor. She was concerned about her daughter's weight gain.
"I was trying to figure out what could we be doing differently," Erin Clark said. "Because being overweight, especially as a teen, is really, really difficult."
Her doctor referred them to a program called Strong Teens. Parents join up right along with their kids. So twice a week you find them at the Fauntleroy YMCA. It's a big-time commitment that Erin Clark says is paying off.
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"I'm a single working parent," she said. "And just finding the time to do some family exercise is challenging."
Emma is sharpening her nutrition skills in the Strong Teens class. She practices new recipes. She's even working on how to customize a fast food order to make it more healthful.
The program, developed by Seattle Children's, follows a research-based model. It's a way to increase the teens' chances of continuing the behavior changes they make. The focus is on practicing healthy lifestyle rather than weight loss.
"We do not count calories, we do not step on the scale," said Kaye Dickenson-Boldrey, of the Greater Seattle YMCA. "What we want to do is learn how to make some healthy choices."
A questionnaire helps teens pinpoint behaviors to change, including sedentary lifestyles.
"I've kind of been trying to break my computer habits," Emma said.
Clark says the program reinforces her parenting. And that's a big help.
"We've certainly talked a lot about what's healthy," she said. " And so the kids have grown up knowing those things. But knowing it versus practicing it are two different things."
Kids with chronic conditions or illnesses are welcome to join the program too.
The Strong Teens program comes with a price tag of $300.
It's less if you belong to the YMCA and scholarships are available.
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