WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC-Healthy House targets childhood obesity

Healthy House targets childhood obesity

By John Carter - bio l email

CATAWBA COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - If you have children, you need to be aware of an epidemic that medical experts say is the greatest threat to America's health. 

It's obesity and it's reaching a crisis level. 

North Carolina has one of the highest obesity rates among children in the nation, ranking 14^th.  But there's a unique program in Catawba County working to change that. It's called Healthy House and it's located in Hickory near the Catawba Valley Medical Center.

The idea at Healthy House is simple, stop obesity BEFORE it happens by reaching kids at an early age.  According to Dr. Vondell Clark, who is Medical Director at Healthy House, "The key to success is talking in their language, not talking to their head, but talking to their feelings and drives, making this fun." 

Dr. Clark even wears Mickey Mouse ears at times to help make learning fun for kids. He is dedicated to their well-being. 

While there are other treatment programs for obesity, Healthy House is unique in that it specifically addresses prevention.  Kids are taught how to make smart food choices.

Zane Wise, who is five years old, says he has learned how to eat healthy things.  When asked if he likes that, he says "YES" resoundingly! 

Healthy House also teaches kids about fitness. 

According to Zane's mom Gwynn, "He's a lot more active now.  He's running around and he doesn't really care about playing video games as much as he used to.  He'd rather be outside playing, and doing things and showing me what he's done at the Healthy House."

Dr. Clark says it's all about changing our mindset, "At Healthy House, we don't talk about diet and exercise, we talk about nourishing our bodies and we talk about healthy activity as play.  We've got to change the model in this country, not just for this, but for health care in general."

Healthy House is an initiative of the Catawba Valley Medical Center and is currently funded through special grants. 

Right now it is specifically targeting kids in Catawba County's Head Start Program.  Healthy House has been operating for a year, and staff members are just now beginning to look at data to see how well the program is working. 

If it proves successful, chances are good the program will be expanded to other children in Catawba County as well as other areas in the Carolinas.