MEND
Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do It!
WHAT IS MEND?
• A family-based healthy lifestyle program for families with children aged 7-13 who have an unhealthy BMI
• Practical demonstrations, games and tips about healthy foods, label reading and portion sizes are shared with the families.
• Parents/caregivers join their children in each session to learn about how to choose healthier foods and spend more time being physically active.
• The children are provided fun physical activity sessions in a safe, non-judgmental environment.
• Meets twice a week for ten weeks
MEND in Mississippi and It’s Partnerships
• COMMIT - Childhood Obesity Management with MEND Implementation Teams
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) Community Health Center Association of Mississippi (+3 other states) Delta Health Center (+3 other CHC’s
• CHCAMS provided a $7,000 grant per CHC and support• Curriculum, handouts, training, MEND kits consisting of t-shirts, water
bottles, backpacks, equipment for CATCH activities
The Curriculum
• Developed by Healthy Weight Partnership, Inc, a leading provider of child and family weight management programs
• Largest and most extensively evaluated child weight management program in the world.
• 31 Sessions delivered over ten weeks
• Family sessions, parent sessions, exercise sessions (CATCH) for kids
Scientific Evaluation and Research
• Independent health economic and clinical studies show that MEND 7-13 is cost-effective and reduces BMI and waist circumference, thereby enabling children with overweight and obesity to reach and maintain a healthier weight.
• Additional health and psychosocial benefits include increased physical activity levels and cardiovascular fitness, reduced sedentary behaviors, improved dietary intake and raised self-esteem and body image.
• Several US and Canadian studies have taken place, including a CDC-funded Child Obesity Research Demonstration Study (RCT) in Texas.
• Thirty-five peer-reviewed publications have documented positive outcomes following MEND programs.
Delta Health Center’s Resources
Staff Time and Effort
• Program Leader
• Program Assistant (2)
• Mind and Nutrition Leader
• Exercise Leader
• Pediatrician and nurse
Space
Cohort 2 Data
Participant 1 2 3 4
Start Weight 174 136 212 96
End Weight 186 141 213 75
BMI Start 39.9 37.1 37.0 21.3
BMI Finish 39.9 36.3 36.7 19.5
Recovery HR 1 149 136 144 120
Recovery HR 2 141 136 168 130
Sessions 8 12 13 12
Anecdotal Outcomes
KIDS: “I learned that even though fruits are healthy, they still have sugar in them.”
• “My favorite part were the stretches, and I learned not to be rude to other kids.”
• “I liked the running!”
• “My favorite part was the coordination games, like Sharks and Sardines.”
PARENTS: “The biggest change that I have made at home is reading nutrition labels. MEND
taught me to pay attention to what I’m buying.”
• “I’m so glad we got to participate in this program- I learned the facts behind the saying
“you are what you eat!””
• “I have been able to learn how to buy better groceries, which allowed me to start planning healthier meals for my family.”
Challenges
• Recruitment and retention
• Participants arriving late
• Competing demands of staff time and effort
• Transportation
Leveraging MEND
• Health and Wellness Center
• Pediatric Weight Management Program – Massachusetts General
Robin Boyles
Chief Program Planning and
Development Officer
Delta Health Center
702 Martin Luther King Road
Mound Bayou, MS 38762
662-741-8888 (office)
www.deltahealthcenter.org
L to R: Kirsten Westerfield, Joyce Roundtree-McCoy,
Alex Cummins, Ashley Taylor, Laura Grant