ENERGIZE! Program
 The WakeMed Children's Diabetes & Endocrinology Program is dedicated to helping kids ages 6 to 18 reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
We do this through "Energize!," a grant-supported program designed to teach young people how to build lifelong, healthy attitudes about food and fitness.
 ENERGIZE! Goals
- Predict risk: Identify children ages 6 - 18 with type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes or cardiometabolic risk factors
- Provide an intensive, 12-week, family-based healthy lifestyle program for children at high risk
- Prevent and treat type 2 diabetes through sustainable lifestyle change
ENERGIZE! is taught collaboratively by WakeMed clinicians and YMCA or WakeMed fitness partners at each site. The group program takes place in either a Triangle YMCA location or the WakeMed Healthpark on the Raleigh Campus.
The Energize! program begins with a physician referral and screening labwork. If your child is identified as being "at risk" for developing type II diabetes, your family will meet with an educator to explain the program and evaluate their readiness to change. This is an opportunity to learn more about the program and how your family can get involved.
Upon completion of the program we schedule follow-up visits every six months for two years to obtain BMI, blood pressure, fasting glucose and lipids, and assess progress with nutrition, physical activity, and behavior change goals.
 Young woman adopts a healthy lifestyle through WakeMed's Energize! program
As a result of her Energize! participation, Essence lost 44 pounds from March to August, discovered how fun Zumba can be, learned what a healthy portion is, and according to her foster mother, became a more confident person.
Read about Essence's success with Energize! on our blog |
Forms
- Your child's physician will need to fill out and fax a referral form to get you started in the ENERGIZE! program. The physician will need to include your BMI, blood pressure, fasting blood sugar and lipid panel.
- After we receive the referral, your child will need a fasting blood sugar test, as well as a fasting cholesterol screening. This can be done in your physician's office or at any WakeMed lab.
- If your child has already been referred to Energize! and you have scheduled an appointment with our staff, please download the registration form and the parent and child physical activity and nutrition forms to complete proir to your appointment.
 SUCCESS!
- The average BMI of ENERGIZE! participants decreased or stayed the same over the course of 12 months.
- Body Mass Index is a common measure used to assess body composition.
- Because weight loss in children is not the intended goal, maintaining BMI is a huge success.
- Fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, blood pressure measures improved for ENERGIZE! participants.
- ENERGIZE! participants increased muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility.
- Both kids and their caretakers increased physical activity over the course of 1 year following ENERGIZE!
- Families decreased their sweetened beverage consumption, saving on calories and money.
- Families decreased their consumption of high fat snacks.
 Learn more!
ENERGIZE! in the News
ENERGIZE! was a finalist in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Healthy Lifestyles Innovation Award. The Healthy Living Innovation Award acknowledges innovative health promotion projects that make significant impacts on the health status of their communities.
WakeMed ENERGIZE! Wins Award from the American Hospital Association
Comments from Families
"I have benefited from ENERGIZE because now I know I can control what I do!-I eat more fruit, exercise more and drink a lot of water."
"I learned exercises you can do with or without equipment. I learned how to talk to my child about healthy meal choices. I learned to exercise until I sweat to get more benefit from my workout. I loved the family night activities and tasting the fruits and vegetables. This is a great program, I got a lot from it."
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