UF is launching a weight-management program for overweight children with asthma.
The UF Childhood Health and Asthma Management Program (CHAMP) will provide strategies for children and their parents to practice healthy behaviors beginning in January. The program, funded by the American Lung Association, will be of no cost to the to the families who participate.
David Fedele, an assistant professor in the department of clinical and health psychology at UF, said the program is in the design stage and is recruiting families to participate.
“CHAMP hopes to help the children’s weight management by changing their body mass index, lung function, asthma control and physical activity,” he said.
CHAMP will be partnering with HealthStreet, a local organization that links the medically underserved to medical treatment, social services and research opportunities. CHAMP is partnering up with the center for space. HealthStreet, 2401 SW Archer Road, offers free parking and is easily accessible, Fedele said.
Parents and children will meet for 16 weeks, where they will be placed in separate groups with interventionists who will monitor them.
Fedele said the children will participate in physical activities like relay races during each of their sessions.
“We want to integrate physical activity into their daily lives,” Fedele said. “The goal is to not make it something to avoid or be feared. If their asthma is well controlled, the kids should engage as they would without asthma.”
Program interventionists will use manuals to help guide them in teaching the parents and children about building a healthy lifestyle.
“The manuals take a very long time to write,” Fedele said. “They will act as a script for the interventionists, but they will be more of a guide.”
Kyra Frey, a 20-year-old UF biology junior, said the program will alleviate issues for kids with asthma so they can enjoy physical activity to the fullest.
“Growing up with asthma, I always felt lame because high-energy sports like basketball were really hard for me,” Frey said. “Combining that with a weight problem can leave a kid feeling incompetent.”
Mackenzie Corson, an 18-year-old UF interior design freshman, also had issues when growing up with asthma.
“When I was younger, I would have to stop and catch my breath in a game when I would play sports,” Corson said. “This program will teach kids that they can get better and participate in rigorous activities.”
[A version of this story ran on page 4 on 10/28/2014]
