Nutrition programs guide teens to healthier futures
Published Thursday, May 23, 2024 at 3:46 p.m.
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Courtesy Photo/Carter County students are learning important skills around healthy food choices and preparation through a partnership between ETSU Health providers and the Boys & Girls Club of Elizabethton.
Courtesy photo/Evelyn M. Artz, MD (left) and Isabelle Lewis, RN, CDCES (right).
Carter County students are learning important skills on how to choose and prepare healthy foods through a partnership between ETSU Health providers and the Boys & Girls Club of Elizabethton.
Dr. Evelyn Artz, a medical provider at ETSU Health and board certified in pediatrics, pediatric endocrinology and lifestyle medicine, is passionate about helping kids learn to make healthy choices.
She received a Community Access to Children’s Health Program grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which allowed her to partner with the Elizabethton Boys & Girls Club to develop an interactive after-school program.
“As a pediatric endocrinologist, I now address concerns about obesity and lifestyle issues that are very different from when I started practicing,” Dr. Aerts said. “We are now seeing more patients with type 2 diabetes and they are much younger. We are also seeing associated conditions such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.”
She believes many young people are motivated to change but lack the knowledge about how big an impact their lifestyle choices can have.
Through cooking classes, visits to the grocery store and even takeaway kitchen supplies, Dr. Artz teaches participants how to prevent weight gain and live a healthy lifestyle.
“The feedback we’ve heard from parents and guardians shows us that this project is helping our youth and their families,” says Nicole Hensley, Teen Director for the local club. “Dr. Artz’s program not only reaches out within the club, but directly into the homes, as she brings healthy, fresh groceries to club members during each visit. These take-home bags are filled with ingredients that the kids used in their cooking projects during their visit, and families have contacted us to let us know how much they appreciate the groceries.”
Residents and medical students from ETSU’s Quillen School of Medicine supported Dr. Aerts, giving him the opportunity to understand the importance of community service as a healthcare provider.
Dr. Artz hopes to continue and expand the program with the goal of positioning participants for a healthier future.
With 30 clinical sites and more than 300 providers, ETSU Health is at the forefront of efforts to improve the health of Northeast Tennessee by delivering cutting-edge care in dozens of specialties.
ETSU Health is the external-facing brand that includes the activities of ETSU’s vibrant Academic Health Science Center and the clinical components of ETSU Physicians & Associates and Northeast Tennessee Community Health Centers Inc. For more information, visit ETSUHealth.org.
NW0524 Nutrition Program 1
Contributed photo
Carter County students will learn important skills around healthy food choices and preparation through a partnership between ETSU Health providers and the Boys & Girls Club of Elizabethton.
NW0524 Nutrition Program 2
Contributed photo
Pictured are Evelyn M. Artz, MD (left) and Isabel Ruiz, RN, CDCES (right).
