Streamwood facility plans activities to combat childhood obesity
September marked National Childhood Obesity Month.
Streamwood Behavioral Healthcare System has joined forces with the country and the community to bring awareness to this issue by educating their patients and students about childhood obesity.
The SBHS campus organized various events and challenges to provide its consumers with various educational and engaging opportunities. Within the Inpatient Hospital, the patient's participated in special trainings conducted by the hospital dietitian, informative group discussions and special art projects and activities to help raise awareness about childhood obesity.
Other activities included a fitness challenge for the patients where they competed in a variety of physical exercises. Prizes were awarded to those who showed the greatest effort. As a way to transition the monthly theme home, patients were educated about the food pyramid and given examples of a variety of simple to prepare healthy meals.
Within the Innovations Academy Therapeutic Day School, Physical Education teacher Amy Schaper implemented Fitness Gram Testing with her students. Fitness Gram Testing asks the students to perform a variety of physical tests that are repeated throughout the year. The student's weight, height and flexibility is recorded and compared every quarter to monitor improvement throughout the school year.
Streamwood Behavioral Healthcare System also made a donation to a local after school program to purchase healthy snacks for children.
SBHS is honored to participate in this worthwhile initiative that promotes healthy behaviors and lifestyles that encourages H.O.P.E. - Healthy Opportunities in a Peaceful Environment for all of those in the care of SBHS.
Streamwood Behavioral Healthcare Systems is the largest free-standing psychiatric facility for children and adolescents in the state of Illinois. SBHS participated in one of the U.S. Health Initiatives which is to prevent and reduce childhood obesity.
More than 23 million children and teenagers are considered overweight or obese. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the childhood obesity rate in America has almost tripled over the past 30 years. Experts are calling childhood obesity an epidemic and a major public health problem. Childhood obesity is linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and asthma. Children who are overweight or obese can suffer from depression and low self-esteem, which can lead to more serious mental health issues as they grow into adulthood.
SBHS used National Childhood Obesity Month as a way to heighten the awareness of these emotional and psychological effects, and to promote the benefits of long term physical and emotional wellness. Overweight and obese youth are at greater risk of developing serious health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, strokes, osteoarthritis and certain types of cancer as adults.
For information about mental health or SBHS's full continuum of behavioral health care services, visit www.streamwoodhospital.com or call (800) 272-7790.