MEND

Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do It!

WHAT IS MEND?

• A family-based healthy lifestyle program for families with children aged 7-13 who have an unhealthy BMI

• Practical demonstrations, games and tips about healthy foods, label reading and portion sizes are shared with the families.

• Parents/caregivers join their children in each session to learn about how to choose healthier foods and spend more time being physically active.

• The children are provided fun physical activity sessions in a safe, non-judgmental environment.

• Meets twice a week for ten weeks

MEND in Mississippi and It’s Partnerships

• COMMIT - Childhood Obesity Management with MEND Implementation Teams

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) Community Health Center Association of Mississippi (+3 other states) Delta Health Center (+3 other CHC’s

• CHCAMS provided a $7,000 grant per CHC and support• Curriculum, handouts, training, MEND kits consisting of t-shirts, water

bottles, backpacks, equipment for CATCH activities

The Curriculum

• Developed by Healthy Weight Partnership, Inc, a leading provider of child and family weight management programs

• Largest and most extensively evaluated child weight management program in the world.

• 31 Sessions delivered over ten weeks

• Family sessions, parent sessions, exercise sessions (CATCH) for kids

Scientific Evaluation and Research

• Independent health economic and clinical studies show that MEND 7-13 is cost-effective and reduces BMI and waist circumference, thereby enabling children with overweight and obesity to reach and maintain a healthier weight.

• Additional health and psychosocial benefits include increased physical activity levels and cardiovascular fitness, reduced sedentary behaviors, improved dietary intake and raised self-esteem and body image.

• Several US and Canadian studies have taken place, including a CDC-funded Child Obesity Research Demonstration Study (RCT) in Texas.

• Thirty-five peer-reviewed publications have documented positive outcomes following MEND programs.

Delta Health Center’s Resources

Staff Time and Effort

• Program Leader

• Program Assistant (2)

• Mind and Nutrition Leader

• Exercise Leader

• Pediatrician and nurse

Space

Cohort 2 Data

Participant 1 2 3 4

Start Weight 174 136 212 96

End Weight 186 141 213 75

BMI Start 39.9 37.1 37.0 21.3

BMI Finish 39.9 36.3 36.7 19.5

Recovery HR 1 149 136 144 120

Recovery HR 2 141 136 168 130

Sessions 8 12 13 12

Anecdotal Outcomes

KIDS: “I learned that even though fruits are healthy, they still have sugar in them.”

• “My favorite part were the stretches, and I learned not to be rude to other kids.”

• “I liked the running!”

• “My favorite part was the coordination games, like Sharks and Sardines.”

PARENTS: “The biggest change that I have made at home is reading nutrition labels. MEND

taught me to pay attention to what I’m buying.”

• “I’m so glad we got to participate in this program- I learned the facts behind the saying

“you are what you eat!””

• “I have been able to learn how to buy better groceries, which allowed me to start planning healthier meals for my family.”

Challenges

• Recruitment and retention

• Participants arriving late

• Competing demands of staff time and effort

• Transportation

Leveraging MEND

• Health and Wellness Center

• Pediatric Weight Management Program – Massachusetts General

Robin Boyles

Chief Program Planning and

Development Officer

Delta Health Center

702 Martin Luther King Road

Mound Bayou, MS 38762

662-741-8888 (office)

rboyles@deltahealthcenter.org

www.deltahealthcenter.org

L to R: Kirsten Westerfield, Joyce Roundtree-McCoy,

Alex Cummins, Ashley Taylor, Laura Grant