A New Weigh For Overweight Youth

"A New Weigh" For Overweight Youth

(732) 418-8376

A New Weigh is a comprehensive six-week program for overweight children and adolescents (age 4-17), and their families. It offers a stepwise, behavior-based approach to help your child achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

A New Weigh offers a family-centered approach to help your child:

reach a healthier weight
make and enjoy healthier food choices
become more physically active
solve problems that contribute to overeating
have a better self-image
avoid or resolve weight-related medical problems

What Does This Program Include?

A multidisciplinary team will evaluate your child and develop an individualized medical, nutritional, behavioral, and exercise plan to help him or her achieve a healthier weight.

Medical

Initial comprehensive evaluation by a pediatrician experienced in weight and eating problems
Laboratory screening for weight-related abnormalities
If needed, direct referral to pediatric sub-specialists for medical complications—such as, high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, severe asthma, liver abnormalities or orthopedic problems
Follow up evaluation and recommendations at end of program

Nutrition

Initial evaluation by a pediatric registered dietitian
Group sessions to help set goals for changing eating habits
educate child and family about healthy eating, including snacking and eating out
educate about calorie content of foods and healthy portion sizes

Behavior

Initial evaluation by a pediatric behavioral psychologist
Six weekly group meetings to:
- teach coping skills to overcome “emotional eating” (eating when upset or bored)
- reinforce new behaviors and support motivation for change
- support improved self esteem and body image
- educate and support parents to help their child change

Exercise

Six weekly group sessions of age-appropriate exercise that:

encourage the child to have fun while being active
teach physical activities that can be done anywhere
help set, monitor and reinforce personal fitness goals

Group Sessions

After completing the initial evaluations, children will be assigned to groups. Children 9 years or older and their parents will attend separate group meetings with the psychologist. Parents of children younger than 9 years will attend group meetings with the psychologist (without children). The dietitian and psychologist will co-lead some of the group sessions. All children will participate in weekly hour-long exercise sessions supervised by the exercise physiologist. All group sessions will take place in New Brunswick in the late afternoon.

Meet Our Team

Barbara K Snyder, MD

Dr. Snyder is Chief of Adolescent Medicine and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She received her undergraduate education at Barnard College, a master's in Social Work from Columbia University, and a MD from George Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Snyder received her pediatric training at Children's National Medical Center (Washington DC) and Upstate Medical Center (Syracuse, NY) and her fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. She is actively involved in the clinical care of children and adolescents with special areas of expertise in eating disorders, obesity, and adolescent gynecology.

Andrea Berez

Ms. Berez currently works as a pediatric dietitian at the UMDNJ/Robert Wood Johnson University Child Health Institute. She has also worked as an inpatient adult and pediatric clinical dietitian at JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey. She has a board certification as a Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition. She obtained her bachelor's in Dietetics and Nutrition from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her master's in Clinical Nutrition from UMDNJ. It was during her master's program that she developed a strong interest in the issue of overweight children.

Alison Morgan, Ph.D.

Dr. Morgan is a licensed clinical psychologist in both New Jersey and New York with her practice specializing in health psychology. She received her master's and doctoral degrees from Seton Hall University in Counseling Psychology. Dr. Morgan has dedicated her work to empowering people to face the challenges of numerous medical illnesses and conditions, such as obesity. She works with individuals to help them commit to a healthy life style change and overcome the barriers to past failed weight loss attempts. Dr. Morgan understands that weight loss is not only a physical challenge but an emotional one; therefore, she has dedicated her work to focus on making positive changes that will last a lifetime.

Just Get Moving! Kids' Fitness
Miriam Lebron & Ellie Ruiz, Owners

Just Get Moving! Kids' Fitness Center leads the fitness sessions and provides BMSCH with certified personal trainers, certified fitness instructors and teachers with various degrees and training. Their mission is to get kids moving in a fun, exciting, creative and unique way, in turn promoting a healthy lifestyle while building their self confidence and self esteem. Weekly sessions begin with stretching and breathing exercises and expand into a variety of fun and creative ways to "Just Get Moving!"

To learn more about the program and cost, please contact Ariela Kinkiel, MHA, Program Manager, at (732) 418-8376 or finkieam@umdnj.edu.

To schedule your first visit please call (732) 235-5210.

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