Healthy Eating and Activity Program

The risk for type 2 diabetes and diabetes related heart disease starts in childhood. Rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes are increasing in children and teenagers and obesity increases the risk for future development of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Children’s Hospital offers a program to support improvement in healthy eating and physical activity called Hip Kids. Participants enroll in a year long program of increased physical activity, nutrition education and counseling with a health care team.

Participants may also be eligible for REACH, a study designed to compare changes in diet and exercise to these changes in combination with metformin medication. Metformin is a pill that makes the body’s insulin work better. When used in combination with improvements in diet and exercise, it can promote weight loss.