Healthy Hawks

The Healthy Hawks program uses a three-stage approach to help children and their families overcome issues related to weight management. Eligible participants are children between the ages of 3 and 17 years and have a Body Mass Index (BMI) in the 85th percentile or higher. The first stage of the program involves working with the child's primary physician to monitor height and weight for approximately six months. Children and families are evaluated for readiness to change before moving to the next stage. In Stage 2, participants meet with a team of specialists for one-hour monthly clinic appointments to address individualized issues related to weight and general health. The children and their families work with the specialist team to develop three behavioral goals. The duration of this stage varies according to individual needs. In the third stage of the Healthy Hawks program, a two-hour weekly group meeting is added to the clinic appointments. For the first hour, children and families meet separately for educational lessons and activities. The groups are brought together in the second hour to participate in a family fitness program.

The program aims to reduce childhood obesity by using a three-stage approach to identifying root causes of the issue, developing and implementing behavioral strategies for weight management, and involving both the children and their families in adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Pre-and post-implementation data from 24 participants show that the program helped children significantly reduce caloric intake as well as significantly lower their Body Mass Index (BMI).