Hi Everyone,

I had a great conversation this morning with Dr. Jessica Rieder, about the program she founded in the South Bronx, that works with obese adolescents and their families. The B’ N Fit Program was founded in 2005 at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, where they partnered with the Bronx Community Center, to bring health, nutrition, exercise and wellness to adolescents struggling with obesity. However, after doing a study in 2010, they found that most of the participants didn’t really want to be there, that their retention rate was only 23%, and that the overall success in weight reduction was not what Dr. Rieder had hoped for, so she changed things up a bit.

The program is now being offered as part of an already existing after-school program, and is focusing more on wellness then on weight loss. The program has also been opened up to any student interested in wellness, hoping to eliminate the stigma attached to a weight management program. They also simplified their message; Don’t skip meals, Eat 3 balanced meals and snacks everyday, including lots of vegetables and 2-3 fruits, Drink water instead of sugary drinks, Exercise everyday, Sleep 9 hours per night, and the last one is the trickiest, Limit total screen time to less than 2 hours per day. I know Dr. Rieder is hoping these new changes will improve the outcomes for her patients, and I applaud her for her tireless efforts in trying to reach these kids, and her commitment to reducing the obesity epidemic in her community.

If you missed the show, no worries, you can still listen to it in the archives here