ACT! is a program of the YMCA of Greater Seattle and Seattle Children’s Hospital. ACT! offers well-established nutrition and exercise principles that your family can put into action right away. These new habits will enhance your child’s health and strengthen family bonds. With parents taking the lead, families get motivated and enjoy results together. Children must be referred by a health care provider and have a BMI greater than or equal to 85th percentile.
Target Audience: Families with children ages 8-11 and teens ages 12-14
Locations:

• Auburn Valley YMCA (253-833-2770)
• Coal Creek Family YMCA, Newcastle (425-282-1500)
• Dale Turner Family YMCA, Shoreline (206-3363-0446)
• Meredith Mathews East Madison YMCA, Seattle (206-322-6969)
• Northshore YMCA (425-485-9797)
• West Seattle & Fauntleroy YMCA (206-935-6000)

Times: One 90-minute session per week for 12 weeks, offered twice a year (September and January)
Fees: Range from $25-$165 based on ability to pay

BodyWorks is a health education program designed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Pre-cursor to an optional, 8-week comprehensive class, this introductory class provides parents and caregivers of teens ages 9-14 with guidelines to help improve family eating and activity habits, including healthy shopping and cooking strategies, meal planning and portion size, advice for reading food labels, recipes, food and fitness journals, strategies for physical activities, and more. Open to parents/caregivers and their teens.
Target Audience: Families with children and teenagers ages 9-14 years
Location: Valley Medical Center, Renton
Times: Offered throughout the year.
Fees: None

Seattle Children’s Hospital’s nationally recognized Obesity Program focuses on the many factors that contribute to obesity. The program comprehensively addresses both obesity prevention and treatment through clinical care, advocacy, research and education. The vision is to help reduce obesity – and health conditions that can occur with it, like high blood pressure, diabetes, liver and heart disease – and to improve the quality of life of children and teens who are overweight or obese.

As part of the program, Seattle Children’s offers multi-disciplinary Wellness Clinics that support children, teens and their families individually and in group classes. Medical, nutritional, social, physical and emotional aspects of weight gain in your child or teen are all addressed. In consultation, the focus is on individual as well as family behavior and lifestyle. The focus is not on diet only, but on helping your family make healthy choices, with a goal to improve your child’s long-term health and quality of life. The success of the process requires a desire and readiness to change – on the part of both you and your child.
Target Audience: The Child Wellness Clinic sees children ages 2-11 years and the Adolescent Wellness Clinic cares for youth ages 12-21 years
Location: Seattle Children’s Hospital
Contact Info: 206-987-2028 (Adolescent Wellness Program); 206-987-2613 (Child Wellness Clinic)
(206) 987-2000

The Mary Bridge Pediatric Weight and Wellness Program for ages 6-17 provides access to specialists and health care professionals who have expertise in helping families make healthy changes. The program’s holistic approach can result in lasting improvements in your child’s health and quality of life. Participants learn to take charge of their eating habits and to become proficient in expressing and dealing with their feelings. The program guides parents in supporting their children through effective limits, nurturing and communication. Groups begin with attending a weekly Core Group then continue meeting monthly for a year. Monthly groups include 30-45 minutes of physical activity.
Target Audience: Families with children ages 6-11, families with teens ages 12-17
Location: Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Center, Tacoma
Times:

• Core Group – Three consecutive weekly meetings in January, April, July and October (Wednesday from 6-8 PM for ages 6-11, Tuesday from 6-8 PM for ages 12-17)
• Monthly Groups – First Wednesday of the month from 6-8:30PM for ages 6-11, first Tuesday of the month from 6-8:30 PM for ages 12-17

Fees: There is no cost for requesting, completing and returning an Assessment packet. An in-depth medical evaluation is required and actual charges will depend on the services received and insurance coverage for those services. A fee of $300 is charged for the year of programming that includes both the core groups and the monthly groups.
Contact Info: Peggy Norman
Note: Pediatric Weight and Wellness does not provide restrictive diets or emphasize weight loss. They use a family wellness model, with a focus on increasing evidence-based behaviors that support healthy lifestyles. Providers may complete a referral form and fax it back to 253-403-4700. Lab work is needed.