Increased cardiovascular fitness 6 hours more physical activity per week A reduction in "screen" time and sedentary behaviors by approximately 4 hours per week Marked improvements in body image and self-esteem Improved eating behaviors and greater understanding of nutrition

Prior to the launch of MEND programs, a low-income and uninsured family in an underserved community, whose child has not yet developed apparent diseases associated with obesity such as Type 2 diabetes, had little chance of ever attending a potentially life-changing program. A January 2010 article published in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Society of Pediatrics, confirmed the importance of programs such as MEND. In this article, The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent panel of non-Federal experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine, composed of primary care providers, recently stated that all overweight and obese children - approximately 25 million across the nation - should be referred by their physicians to high-intensity family-based programs that combine nutrition counseling, behavior change strategies and physical activity. MEND offers these programs in collaboration with community partners such as the YMCA. MEND has research partnerships with eminent researchers from the University of Texas School of Public Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, RTI International, and Duke University.

The MEND 7-13 Program has significant impact for those who are most needy and known statistically to be the most impacted by obesity. Roughly 30% of the children in the reported US data came from single parent homes and 46% were at or below the federal poverty line for 2010. Additionally, 46% of primary caregivers did not exceed high school level education. 33% of families obtained government sponsored health insurance, while 10% had no health insurance. Currently local communities are able to offer the MEND 7-13 programs free of charge to families thanks to private funding partnerships from organizations such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, The Houston Endowment, St. David's Foundation, BG Americas and Global LNG, OSI Pharmaceuticals Foundation, Rose Hills Foundation, Scott & White Healthcare, United Way Texas and The General Mills Foundation.

Commenting on the MEND initiatives, Board Member Eduardo Sanchez, MD, Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas noted, "MEND is one of very few community-based healthy lifestyle programs with positive outcomes from a Randomized Controlled Trial, and their comprehensive, family-based approach to addressing childhood obesity is a promising model that should be funded, implemented and evaluated."

Source : MEND