ProActive Kids Partners with Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital to fight childhood obesity

ProActive Kids (PAK) Foundation is announcing its fourth site location in DuPage County to provide its innovative program to fighting the growing childhood obesity epidemic.  Together, with Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, they will bring the ProActive Kids programs to the Downers Grove community and surrounding municipalities to offer free programs for children struggling with unhealthy weight.

“We are very excited to be working with Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital as it extends our reach to children and families across DuPage County!” said Nicole Klinkhamer, ProActive Kids Executive Director.  “Together, we have an opportunity to help educate, train and energize kids and families in the community, and get them comfortable with fitness and nutrition in a safe environment.  We also will be introducing participants to a state-of-the-art fitness facility that we hope we will become a part of their daily lives for years to come.”

ProActive Kids will implement their results-oriented program at the Advocate Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center, collaborating on staffing, funding, physician referrals, engagement of the participants, and overall delivery of the comprehensive, three days per week program. Together, the partnership will deliver PAK’s three-tiered childhood obesity intervention program, delivering fitness, nutrition and lifestyle training to children ages 8 – 14 struggling with unhealthy weight which is classified as 85th percentile and above.

“Childhood obesity is one of the most pressing public health issues we face,” said Laura Taylor, Director Community Health, Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital.  “ProActive Kids and leading hospitals in DuPage County and Chicagoland are joining together to fight obesity with a united approach. Together, we  can offer this proven program  to the families we serve and confront this issue head on. We look forward to expanding our existing fitness and nutrition programs for kids to offer this unique intervention program for kids who are already struggling while maintaining our many prevention programs. ”

ProActive kids are engaged in a variety of PAK PLAN activities on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for eight weeks:  PAK Fitness, PAK Nutrition and PAK Lifestyle.  Each educational lesson and fitness activity is designed to motivate kids to make healthy choices, while instilling positive behaviors they can use for life. On Fridays, PAK reinforces the importance of family by inviting members of the child’s family to show support by participating in the three PAK PLAN activities to learn how they, too, can benefit from and make healthier lifestyle changes.

ProActive Kids Foundation, headquartered in Wheaton, IL, offers a winter, spring and fall program and is currently enrolling kids for its winter sessions, scheduled to begin on January 28 at each of the five locations – Wheaton, Woodridge, West Chicago, Oak Lawn and now Downers Grove.  Kids and families are encouraged to enroll in the program at www.proactivekids.org.  A referral from the child’s primary care physician is required.

Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital joins other leading health care organizations in the support for PAK programs, including Advocate Children’s Hospital.   Cadence Health and Edward Hospital, both support ProActive Kids sites and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois provides funds for the West Chicago site through a grant from its Healthy Kids, Healthy Families initiative,

For more information, or to enroll, please visit www.proactivekids.org. ProActive Kids (PAK) Foundation is announcing its fourth site location in DuPage County to provide its innovative program to fighting the growing childhood obesity epidemic.  Together, with Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, they will bring the ProActive Kids programs to the Downers Grove community and surrounding municipalities to offer free programs for children struggling with unhealthy weight.

“We are very excited to be working with Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital as it extends our reach to children and families across DuPage County!” said Nicole Klinkhamer, ProActive Kids Executive Director.  “Together, we have an opportunity to help educate, train and energize kids and families in the community, and get them comfortable with fitness and nutrition in a safe environment.  We also will be introducing participants to a state-of-the-art fitness facility that we hope we will become a part of their daily lives for years to come.”

ProActive Kids will implement their results-oriented program at the Advocate Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center, collaborating on staffing, funding, physician referrals, engagement of the participants, and overall delivery of the comprehensive, three days per week program. Together, the partnership will deliver PAK’s three-tiered childhood obesity intervention program, delivering fitness, nutrition and lifestyle training to children ages 8 – 14 struggling with unhealthy weight which is classified as 85th percentile and above.

“Childhood obesity is one of the most pressing public health issues we face,” said Laura Taylor, Director Community Health, Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital.  “ProActive Kids and leading hospitals in DuPage County and Chicagoland are joining together to fight obesity with a united approach. Together, we  can offer this proven program  to the families we serve and confront this issue head on. We look forward to expanding our existing fitness and nutrition programs for kids to offer this unique intervention program for kids who are already struggling while maintaining our many prevention programs. ”

ProActive kids are engaged in a variety of PAK PLAN activities on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for eight weeks:  PAK Fitness, PAK Nutrition and PAK Lifestyle.  Each educational lesson and fitness activity is designed to motivate kids to make healthy choices, while instilling positive behaviors they can use for life. On Fridays, PAK reinforces the importance of family by inviting members of the child’s family to show support by participating in the three PAK PLAN activities to learn how they, too, can benefit from and make healthier lifestyle changes.

ProActive Kids Foundation, headquartered in Wheaton, IL, offers a winter, spring and fall program and is currently enrolling kids for its winter sessions, scheduled to begin on January 28 at each of the five locations – Wheaton, Woodridge, West Chicago, Oak Lawn and now Downers Grove.  Kids and families are encouraged to enroll in the program at www.proactivekids.org.  A referral from the child’s primary care physician is required.

Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital joins other leading health care organizations in the support for PAK programs, including Advocate Children’s Hospital.   Cadence Health and Edward Hospital, both support ProActive Kids sites and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois provides funds for the West Chicago site through a grant from its Healthy Kids, Healthy Families initiative,

For more information, or to enroll, please visit www.proactivekids.org.

About PROACTIVE KIDS FOUNDATION

ProActive Kids Foundation (PAK) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit foundation with a mission of advancing child health and reversing the obesity trend one community at a time. Under the direction of the ProActive Kids Foundation leadership, a respected group of health care, education, nutrition, and athletic leaders, developed the PAK PLAN.

The PAK PLAN is much more than a simple diet or exercise program. It is a comprehensive, all inclusive program to treat the whole child …physically, nutritionally and emotionally, built around the stability and commitment of family. The program educates children and their families on fun and sustainable ways to improve their health through weekly physical exercises, lessons, assignments and discussions.

This innovative and personal life-changing experience is offered at no charge to children ages 8-14 who are considered obese or at risk.