Growing kids come in all shapes and sizes. But if your child is overweight or obese, it increases their risk of developing asthma, sleep apnea, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Taking even small steps though, like encouraging more activity and less screen time, can make a difference.
If you’re concerned about your child’s weight, make an appointment with his or her physician for an overall health assessment. Your child’s doctor may recommend lifestyle changes or a supervised kids’ weight loss program available at one of the leading local hospitals.
Use our list to find facilities and classes that can help your child achieve a healthy weight and check out our roundup of top weight loss programs for grown-ups to make getting healthy a family affair.
Note: In some cases, your health insurance may cover all or part of the cost. Call your health insurance provider to find out more.
Due to COVID-19, meetings with health professionals may be virtual. Check with your chosen program to find out how they are safely providing services.
Beaumont’s Healthy Kids Program
- Location: Throughout southeast Michigan
- Phone: 248-655-5900
- Costs: Call for details
Kids ages 3-18 and their parents meet with a dietitian, psychologist, and an exercise physiologist four times over a 12-week period to learn how to improve their overall health through better nutrition, exercise and other behavior modifications.
Kids will get to participate in cooking classes and physical activity events, plus screenings for diabetes, high-blood pressure and other serious conditions.
HealthyTown Everywhere at Family Health Care Center
- Location: Family Health Care Center, 2033 Crooks Road, Royal Oak
- Phone: 248-563-0386
- Costs: Free
Family physician, Dr. Paul Ehrmann, created this program with the goal of getting the entire community healthier. It offers grocery store tours led by dietetic interns and registered dietitians, blood pressure, blood sugar and BMI measurements, a walking program and five-week, hour-long classes for kids that combines these parts.
Henry Ford Weight Management Programs for Kids
- Location: Canton, Clinton Township, Detroit, Livonia, Troy, West Bloomfield, Wyandotte
- Phone: Varies based on program. See website for details.
- Costs: Call for details
Programs through Henry Ford are aimed at kids 8-19 and include Let’s Get Healthy, Let’s Eat Healthy and Clinical Weight Management for Older Teens. Programming offers everything from learning how to exercise and eat properly to individualized bariatric programming. Check out their full list of programming to find one that fits your child’s needs the best.
Pediatric Comprehensive Weight Program at the University of Michigan
- Location: 1540 E. Hospital Drive, Ann Arbor
- Phone: 734-615-3829
- Costs: Call for details
In this family-focused, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital program, teens and their families will learn to improve their health and make better choices through lifestyle changes and up-to-date medical care.
Pediatric Weight Management at Endocrine Kids
- Location: Endocrine Kids, 25500 Meadowbrook Road, Suite 130, Novi
- Phone: 248-347-3344
- Costs: Call for details
The Health and Nutrition Direction Pathway (HAND) at this Novi pediatric endocrinologist office helps kids to manage their weight with private evaluations and ongoing management with a doctor that specializes in obesity and metabolic diseases, consultations with a pediatric dietitians, lab evals and treatments of obesity-related disorders like glucose intolerance, diabetes, PCOS and others.
Rock On – Pediatric Weight Management at St. John Providence
- Location: St. John Hospital’s lower level, 28000 Dequindre Road, Warren and Ascension St. John Hospital, 17700 23 Mile Road, Suite 101, Macomb.
- Phone: 313-343-7047
- Cost: Call for details
Kids and teens ages 7-18 with a BMI greater than the 85th percentile participate in this 12-week program where they will work with a pediatrician, local nutritionist, exercise physiologist and social worker to have an overall health evaluation, participate in one-hour weekly group treatment sessions on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and have follow-up assessments to improve their overall health and develop better nutrition and exercise habits.
ShapeDown Weight Management Program for Children and Teens at St. Joseph Mercy
- Location: Ann Arbor, Brighton and Canton
- Phone: 734-712-5694
- Cost: Call for details
Parents and kids, ages 6-18, work as a team with a social worker, dietician and exercise specialist to learn how to prepare healthy meals, and combine that with exercise to live a healthier and more active lifestyle. The program starts with 10 weekly two-hour classes and then parents and kids decide whether to proceed with advanced classes.
Do you know of any other weight loss programs for kids? Tell us in the comments section below.
This post was originally published in 2012 and is updated regularly.