Metro

We come to
state of indepemienc

Kids

Obesity Factor

HIGIMA.Y

A local doctor has formed CHIPs to trim the fats

RUTHAN BRODSKY

Special to the Jewish News

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r. Paul Ehrmann, D.O., a pri-
mary physician in Royal Oak,
is one of those people who
recognizes a problem, researches it and
then takes action.
Practicing family medicine at the
Family Health Care Center for close
to 25 years, Dr. Ehrmann saw younger
patients becoming overweight; some
were obese. His volunteer activities in
the Royal Oak school district, as a
high school team physician, gave him
an even broader picture.
"Childhood obesity isn't only a
problem for Royal Oak, it's a problem
for this whole country," says Dr.
Ehrmann. "Thirteen percent of chil-
dren and adolescents are now over-
weight or obese, which represents
more than a doubling in the last 30
years. Obesity rates for children age 6
to 11 tripled.
"The bottom line is that 1 in 6 chil-
dren in the U.S. are obese. As a result,
this may be the first generation that
will be less healthy and have a shorter
life expectancy than their parents."
The childhood obesity problem is
not a secret. Headlines about this epi-
demic scream from newspapers and
magazines, from TV and radio inter-
views, and from literature published by
health organizations. Parents, health
care professionals and educators discuss
the issue, offer seminars about what can
be done, and lay the blame on the fast-
food industry, television viewing, video
games, and lack of parental guidance.
"I got tired of hearing about the
problem so I developed a program that
may provide some positive responses
from kids and their families," said Dr.
Ehrmann. "The program starts in the
school, but I knew it wouldn't work if

it was costly because school districts
don't have any extra money. I also
knew it wouldn't work if it meant
more responsibilities for teachers
because they don't have any extra time.
"I understood that the program
needed to be low-maintenance, turn-
key and cost-effective if the business
community would even consider
sponsoring some of the operation."
Dr. Ehrmann created CHIPs,
Children's Health Initiative Program, .
and funded a pilot program for 30 stu-
dents and their families at Royal Oak
Upton Elementary School last winter.
"My goal was to develop a program
that could be replicated in part or as a
whole by other schools and districts,"
he said.
Dr. Ehrmann collaborated with the
Michigan Medical Society, Oakland
Schools and the Royal Oak School
District. He presented the preliminary
components of CHIPs to 20 Oakland
County high school representatives in
February 2004. All agreed that com-
munities want to do something about
this problem but never had the tools
and guidance. The group made the
decision to go forward with Dr.
Ehrmann's proposal.
Steering committees were formed
and a five-week pilot emerged,
designed to demonstrate the basic
lifestyle practices and long-term bene-
fits of weight management and exer-
cise. The pilot program began this
February.
"Upton School had already institut-
ed several fun activities to educate
children," said principal Sharon
Ivascu, "such as a lunch-hour walking
club for students and staff, and a chal-
lenge to count and track steps for
individual students and staff u s ing
pedometers. "Dr. Ehrmann's program
caught my eye because it complement-

Consequences Of Obesity

• Glucose intolerance and
insulin resistance
• Type 2 diabetes
• Hypertension
• Sleep apnea
• Impaired balance
• Orthopedic problems
• Menstrual abnormalities

• Low self-esteem

• Negative body image
• Depression .
• Stigma
• Negative stereotyping
• Discrimination
• Teasing and bullying