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After going through nearly 12 sessions of Building Healthy Families, Lisa Curd noticed that she and her 11-year-old son Austin were eating better food, working on portion control, and getting more exercise.
The Curds were the only family in Hastings’ original Building Healthy Families cohort, which closed on July 8th. Program coordinator Saylor Pershing said in an interview prior to the July 1st course that she hopes to recruit a larger group for a second cohort, which will start in September and run through December.
Shannon Frink, registered nutritionist with Mary Lanning Healthcare, shows Lisa Curd and her son Austin what to look for and avoid when reading the ingredient labels on different grains during a July 1st session of the Building Healthy Families program at Alcott Elementary School.
Pershing is from Hastings and attends George Washington University but works part-time for the South Heartland District Department of Health.
Building Healthy Families is a 12-week, family-based teenage weight management and lifestyle program that works with children ages 6-12 who are in their 95th grade improving eating habits and promoting physical activity through weekly training.
Each week, the course offers families a healthy dinner, education on a specific topic related to diet and lifestyle, and various physical activities.
The first cohort took place at the Alcott Elementary.
“A healthy lifestyle is very important for children and their families,” said Pershing. “Because this program is family based, it not only targets the children who may have a health or weight problem, but also shows them that their families think this is important and prioritize it. By getting your families to prioritize, it shows the children that they should focus and do their entire lives. “
Curd said Building Healthy Families kept her on track to exercise.
For example, during a recent Uno family game, contestants had to do the same number of jumping jacks as on the card they were playing.
Austin Curd aims for the ball to attempt to hit the target during a session of the Building Healthy Families program on July 1 at Alcott Elementary School.
In Building Healthy Families courses, participants weigh and discuss with program coordinators protocols that are used to track meal planning. The protocols help participants identify foods with green, yellow, and red categories based on fat content.
Lisa asked Austin if participating in Building Healthy Families had helped him take better care of his red foods.
“Maybe,” he said with a smile as he ate another bite from a dinner of chicken, broccoli, potatoes, and fruit.
Mary Lanning Healthcare’s wellness staff provide dinner prepared by the hospital’s kitchen staff and give nutrition classes.
On July 1, Shannon Frink, a registered nutritionist with Mary Lanning, was teaching whole grains.
The program was developed and partially funded and partially funded by the US Centers for Disease Control by the University of Nebraska at Kearney and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
In the middle of nutrition lesson, Pershing and physical activity coordinator Kinzie Beutler, who works for the Hastings Family YMCA, took Austin and his friend Lillyan Kent, who came with the Curds, to the Alcott gym to play a few different games games that were about hula hoops and throwing balls.
Pershing said over the course of 12 weeks it was fun to see the progress Lisa and Austin have made.
“My favorite thing is to get to know the family and see the progress they have made,” she said. “Sometimes you do a project and you don’t talk to people directly and you have the feeling that it is not that important, but when you have personal contact you make a difference and can manage to see the change and do that they are more effective and important. “
Families interested in joining the second cohort can contact their doctor, health department at 402-462-6211, or register on the Building Health Families website, buildinghealthyfamilies.us.
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