Blue Cross Tackles Childhood Obesity With Pediatric Healthy Weight Toolkit

An innovative pediatric healthy weight toolkit will help Michigan doctors tackle one of the state's new and preventable epidemics: childhood obesity, part of an ongoing comprehensive effort by the Blues to improve the health of Michigan children.

The kit was designed in consultation with eight Michigan physicians who are active in battling childhood obesity.

"Obese children have greatly increased risk for hypertension, high blood cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis and other chronic conditions," explained Tom Peterson, M.D., medical director of quality at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital as well as medical director of Spectrum Health Healthier Communities in Grand Rapids, and one of the toolkit's authors. "Two of the biggest killers in America -- tobacco and obesity -- are almost completely preventable."

"This is a tool created by physicians for use by physicians," noted Peterson. "As far as we know, the toolkit is the only one of its kind in Michigan. It is extremely user friendly for providers."

Produced by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the toolkit will be available Dec. 1 to pediatricians and other specialists who see thousands of Michigan children. The toolkit includes approximately 20 pages of information for physicians about childhood obesity plus waiting room posters.

Pediatric obesity is trending "in the wrong direction" according to the Michigan Department of Community Health. Its April 2007 Critical Health Indicators report says Michigan's percentage of overweight youngsters is similar to national proportions which have tripled over three decades. For children ages 6 to 11, 4 percent were overweight in the early 1970s compared to 16 percent in the early 2000s, according to federal National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys.

The eight Michigan physicians who helped compile information to assist other physicians in prevention and management of pediatric obesity have an approach that partners with children and parents in managing the issue. The toolkit has a wide range of topics and resources, including:

-- Age-specific body mass index charts

-- Elements for assessing a child's risk of becoming overweight or obese

-- Treatment recommendations for overweight and obese children

-- Techniques for effective communication with families

-- Resources for identifying and managing type 2 diabetes and hypertension in children

Thomas Simmer, M.D., Blues senior vice president and chief medical officer, said: "Some projections hold that today's children may be the first generation in history to have shorter lives than their parents. We don't want that to happen.

"This is part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan mission to improve the health of Michigan's residents, particularly children. The effort to help physicians address childhood obesity aligns with other company efforts to help improve children's health, ranging from providing health coverage for the uninsured through MIChild, to partnering with schools to create or expand fitness and nutrition programs for Michigan school children."