Health and Fitness

November 28, 2007

Kaiser Permanente Pediatric Obesity Specialist Interviewed on 'Patient Power'

A Kaiser Permanente pediatrician in Portland, Oregon, and a teenage girl enrolled in a Kaiser Permanente weight management program, were recently featured on the online medical talk show "Patient Power."

Show host Andrew Schorr interviewed Philip Wu, MD, on a recent "Patient Power" segment focusing on how to prevent childhood obesity.  Dr. Wu described Kaiser Permanente's SHINE program (Study for Healthy Integration of Nutrition and Exercise) in Oregon as one of several tools he uses to help his patients make healthier food and exercise choices.

Schorr also interviewed a 15-year-old girl who is successfully managing her weight using skills she learned in the SHINE program.  She told Schorr that she packs her own lunches prior to school and now has a better idea of how to reach her individual weight-loss goals.  Her father, who also was interviewed, says childhood obesity is a family issue, and parents must change their habits if they want their kids to do the same.

For more, listen to this Patient Power rebroadcast, titled "Childhood obesity: winning the battle against the epidemic."