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Tess Callinicos, RN, a school nurse at Garden Place Academy in Denver, started a walking club during lunch to help students maintain their weight.

Shirley Luna, a public health nurse, could see the stress weighing on her stepson. He was struggling to cope with junior high, two new baby half siblings, and tension between his biological parents, and he’d found a simple way to ease his pain: eating.

He was not obese, but clearly was overweight. One day, the Mountain View, Calif., nurse mentioned the Stanford Pediatric Weight Control Program. Her stepson was resistant at first, but later agreed to go once a week with her to the four-month program.

Participants learned what foods were healthy and which ones to avoid, how to exercise, and how to set goals. But, most importantly, Luna and her stepson learned to be partners. He was not alone, and finally had an ally in fighting his battle.

That the obesity epidemic has spread to America’s children is common knowledge, but solutions to the problem are more elusive. Nurses have discovered that parents are often aware of the need for healthier habits in the household, but families find it difficult to change ingrained lifestyle patterns. Luna can vouch that it’s possible to wean children off of chips, pizza, and sodas, and the odds of success are highest when parents, siblings, and even school districts partner with youngsters to resist the temptation to eat empty calories and sit in front of the television.

The growing pediatric obesity problem started registering on the radar about two years ago when the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that an estimated 15% of children aged 6 to 11 were overweight — about double the number from 20 years ago and almost triple the number from 30 years ago. The increase among 12- to 19-year-olds in the last 20 years was even more dramatic, with a jump from 5% to 15%. (Overweight was defined as children in the 95th percentile or greater for their body mass index.)

Green light, go!

For Luna, PHN, the fruits of her stepson’s decision to seek help were obvious as early as the initial drive to the program. “The time in the car gave us time to talk,” Luna said. “He shared what was going on in school, what he liked and didn’t like.” At home, he’d been quiet and reserved, but when given time alone with his stepmother, he started talking openly.

Early in the Stanford program, the leaders explained to parents and children that they were a team. Both were asked to complete food logs and check in with one another daily about foods they were eating. They learned a system in which “green lights” were labeled healthy foods, such as vegetables and fruit, and yellows were cautions, such as spaghetti, breads, and cereal, and reds were empty nutrition, such as chips and dessert. They were allowed to eat reds, but just limit the amount, Luna said.

As she and her stepson started their daily check-ins, Luna learned he was eating most of his junk food outside the home — at school or other homes. Both would set goals for how much they planned to increase greens and yellows, and reduce reds. They also set goals for exercise each week. If they met their goals, they earned a preplanned prize.

“I would make his bed or wash dishes for him,” Luna said, “and if I met my goal, he would do something for me.”

Although her own cooking was somewhat healthy, Luna learned how to be even wiser about shopping and cooking. Instead of serving hot dogs, she started cooking chicken sausages. Now, she makes spaghetti with zucchini, onions, and red peppers instead of sausage.