Ashley (2006)

Ashley knows what it takes to accomplish a goal – and can prove it.  Just two years ago, Ashley – then 14 years old – was referred to Geisinger’s Janet Weis Children’s Hospital to be evaluated for obesity.  A condition that can cause heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, gallstones, infertility, sleep apnea and more, obesity can be both difficult to overcome and dangerous. 

Ashley already was learning those dangers.  Her weight had led to polycystic ovary syndrome. Both her blood pressure and cholesterol levels were high. And – perhaps the most troubling news for both Ashley and her mother, Kathi – Ashley was headed toward diabetes.  She would need focus, motivation and commitment to lose weight and reverse those health problems, and she would need to do so before her health declined even more.

According to William Cochran, MD, a Geisinger pediatric gastroenterologist, the risk of developing diabetes is one of the most dangerous complications of obesity.  Insulin resistance will develop before diabetes, he notes, and Ashley already had developed insulin resistance.  “It’s important at that point to lose weight before developing diabetes,” Dr. Cochran says.  He also notes the importance of losing weight at a younger age so the health risks of obesity don’t extend into adulthood.  “If a child is overweight at age 5, there is a 20 percent chance that he or she will be overweight as an adult.  If a child is overweight as a teenager, those odds jump to 80 percent.”

Kathi and her husband, Mark, didn’t have to convince Ashley to change her lifestyle; she was ready and willing to do so, and they were ready and willing to support her.

“We were eating healthy, but not as healthy as we could have been,” Kathi says.  She cites sports drinks as being one of the biggest culprits, noting that it’s easy to think they are healthier than soda.

“Twenty percent of kids drink too many calories,” Dr. Cochran says.  He notes that while juices and sports drinks may seem like a healthy alternative to soda, they still can add weight if kids aren’t burning off those extra calories. 

Kids who participate in the Weigh of Life program at Janet Weis Children’s Hospital learn these types of lessons to help them switch to a healthier lifestyle.  The program – which is individualized as opposed to a group setting – typically consists of 15 sessions that focus on nutrition, exercise and behavior modification as it relates to weight loss. 

“Being overweight can lead to a host of medical problems,” says Holly Billet, a certified registered nurse practitioner and coordinator of the Weigh of Life program.  “When we focus on changing the behaviors that lead to obesity – whether it’s portion control, eating out of boredom, not exercising enough or a combination of those factors – we can reduce the risk of complications from conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  Eliminating those extra pounds can help someone look better and feel great.”

By the time Ashley first visited Billet, she already had lost 10 pounds and was eating healthier.  She met with Billet every three to four weeks, at first, and the visits gave Ashley a chance to monitor her progress and discuss behavioral changes. 

“I was extremely impressed when I first met Ashley,” Billet says.  “She had a great amount of motivation."    

“I didn’t really have any problems sticking with it,” Ashley recalls.  “Maybe a little at first,” when she had to give up those sports drinks and junk food, she says.  She was motivated by the way she was feeling, however, and by the fear of developing diabetes.

She changed the way she ate but also became more active, too.  She began swimming more often and went for more walks, and found herself becoming more energetic – which Cochran says is common when activity increases and there is a move away from a sedentary lifestyle.

Ashley continued to see Billet, but her visits gradually decreased to every three or four months.  They talked during each visit, and Billet praised her when she lost weight – which she always did.  “I can’t say enough about Holly,” Kathi says.  “She really made Ashley feel good.”

Billet says that the support Ashley received from her family and friends helped her make such great progress.

“We gave moral support, but she’s the one who did it,” Kathi says.  “I’m so proud of her.  I can’t say that enough.”

Ashley now has a clean slate, healthwise.  Her blood pressure and cholesterol are down, she no longer is facing the possibility of developing diabetes – or other major complications of obesity – at such a young age and she feels much better, she says.  While she is no longer on a strict diet, she continues to eat healthier and now enjoys eating more fruits and vegetables.

She and her family – including her older brothers, Nate and Garrett – also have noticed that her self-esteem now is much higher, and she likes the way she looks.  “When I look at pictures of myself (from before the weight loss), I think ‘what a change,’” she says.  “I can’t believe it used to be me.”

Billet says that through weigh loss and the visits to Janet Weis Children’s Hospital, during which Ashley’s progress was visually documented on a chart, Ashley could see and feel the results of her hard work.  That can add to the motivation, Billet says, and can help kids achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle.