If you're interested in a healthy experience where your child will enjoy a typical summer camp, learn how to eat well and develop skills to live a healthy lifestyle, then Camp Wabi might be a good fit.

Created by Mayo Clinic Health System and the Eau Claire, Wisconsin YMCA, the camp is designed to provide a welcoming place for kids who struggle with weight.

2018 Camp Wabi registration is open! Check website.At Camp Wabi young people learn to integrate healthy habits into their lives while enjoying kayaking, swimming and archery in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

One hour each day is dedicated to lessons presented by behavioral counselors. Campers learn about nutrition and the reasons we often over eat, like stress and boredom.

Camp Wabi: Parent Q&A

Watch this video for more answers to questions about Camp Wabi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9WS3S7n_YU

Watch: Mayo Clinic Summer Camp Fights Obesity

Journalists: This broadcast-quality video pkg 2:22 is in the downloads.

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Many factors can contribute to weight issues during childhood, including:

• Diet
• Lack of exercise
• Family factors
• Psychological issues
• Socio-economic conditions

One of the best strategies for reducing childhood obesity is to improve the eating and exercise habits of your family.

In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Dr. Bridget Biggs, a Mayo Clinic pediatric psychologist, offers ideas for promoting healthy living in your home. Jeff Olsen reports.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (0:59) is in the downloads. Read the script.

Here's some heavy news: One in 6 American kids is obese.

"The reason why we are concerned about that is all the health problems that are associated with having excess weight on our bodies," says Dr. Biggs.

According to Dr. Biggs, overweight kids are being diagnosed with what had been adult-onset diseases.

"We're seeing kids with Type 2 diabetes," she says. "We're seeing kids with fatty liver disease, sleep apnea."

She says if you're concerned about your child's weight, keep your focus and conversations on his or her overall health.

"It's important for parents to provide the entire family, including themselves, with healthy choices," says Dr. Biggs.

She suggests you set reliable times for meals and snacks, and eat them at a table or counter in a room free of distracting technology.

"We're just more mindful when the electronics are off," says Dr. Biggs.

Include fruits with breakfast, and fruits and vegetables with lunch and dinner. Keep healthy snacks visible in the kitchen and the refrigerator. Avoid sugary drinks. And, finally, encourage exercise through example.

The post Mayo Clinic Minute: Obesity in young kids on the rise appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Children around the world are battling increased obesity. A study published in the Lancet reports the number of obese children and adolescents is rising.

More than 1,000 researchers collaborated to study almost 130 million people from 1975 to 2016. They found that the number of obese children and adolescents rose to 124 million in 2016. That's more than 10 times higher than was recorded in 1975.

Mayo Clinic pediatric psychologist Dr. Bridget Biggs says this also means overweight kids are being diagnosed with what had been adult-onset diseases. "We’re seeing kids with Type 2 diabetes. We’re seeing kids with fatty liver disease, sleep apnea," says Dr. Biggs. She says one of the best strategies for reducing childhood obesity is to improve the eating and exercise habits of your entire family.

Many factors can contribute to weight issues during childhood, including:

• Diet
• Lack of exercise
• Family factors
• Psychological issues
• Socioeconomic conditions

In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Dr. Biggs offers ideas for promoting healthy living at your house.

Watch: How to help overweight kids.

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (1:00) is in the downloads. Read the script.

Learn more about childhood obesity from Dr. Biggs in this Mayo Clinic Radio podcast, which originally aired Nov. 12, 2016.

The post Helping overweight kids get healthier appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

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“Don’t miss seeing the forest by focusing only on the trees,” explains Jaeyun Sung, Ph.D., a systems biologist who recently joined the Microbiome Program within Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine. That is Dr. Sung’s approach to exploring how the microbiome – the tens of trillions of microbes within and on our bodies – affects health and disease.

“I focus on the community of bacteria, not just individual microbes, along with genetic and environmental factors, such as the foods we eat, to understand what is taking place inside this complex system in our bodies. Watching how groups of microbes interact with each other – that’s where the magic happens. This is important because we know that changes in the microbiome definitely affect our digestive health and immune system, and possibly even our mood and behavior. It has also been linked to many diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, irritable bowel syndrome and colon cancer,” says Dr. Sung.

The ultimate goal – manipulating the microbiome with natural treatments

According to Dr. Sung, his ultimate goal is to develop probiotic treatments and individualized diets, tailored to a patient’s unique gut microbiome characteristics, to alleviate disease symptoms and improve overall health.

“Hippocrates, the father of medicine, said ‘Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.’ I believe that we will eventually be able to use customized diets and probiotic ‘cocktails’ to naturally manipulate a person’s microbiome and potentially reverse disease and improve health without using potentially toxic pharmaceutical medications,” says Dr. Sung.

His current work in the Microbiome Program focuses on three areas:

• Building a mathematical model to find better diagnostic tests and treatments: Using computational data analysis tools, Dr. Sung is using patient data to create individualized models of gut microbiome ecology. These models will be used to predict how changes in microbes will affect the bacterial community and whether the changes may promote good health or cause disease. Dr. Sung plans to use these models to develop better diagnostic tests and treatments for any condition linked to the microbiome.
• Creating a biomarker panel to diagnose disease earlier: Dr. Sung is working to develop a screening test that uses patients’ stool samples to detect changes in their gut bacteria that are linked to a particular disease. This type of screening test may be able to diagnose conditions like colon cancer earlier, even before a patient experiences symptoms.
• Exploring new ways to prevent and treat childhood obesity: In collaboration with clinical researchers, Dr. Sung is trying to identify what factors lead to the development of childhood obesity, such as genetics, education background, cultural background, childhood trauma, breast fed versus formula fed infants, and infant and toddler microbiome characteristics. By understanding the underlying factors that cause childhood obesity, Dr. Sung and his team hope to develop new treatments and interventions for the condition.

From chemical reactions to gut reactions that impact health  

Dr. Sung’s training as a chemical engineer set the foundation for his approach to studying the microbiome.

“As a chemical engineer, I am trained to design and run an entire chemical plant, managing all the chemical reactions and manufacturing processes to make raw natural resources into chemical commodities. As a systems biologist, I am now exploring gut reactions and the role of all biological processes simultaneously taking place in our body’s microbiome. If we can understand and manipulate how our bacterial communities function, we can make real strides in controlling disease and improving gut wellness,” says Dr. Sung.

While fascinated by the scientific aspects of his research, Dr. Sung is especially motivated by the patients he hopes to help with his work.

“From a scientific perspective, I enjoy collaborating with my Mayo colleagues, each with different backgrounds and views on science, to further unlock the mysteries of the microbiome. From a humanitarian perspective, I have the opportunity to participate in research that focuses on changing someone’s life for the better. This thought motivates me every day,” says Dr. Sung.

Learn more about microbiome research at Mayo Clinic

• Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine Microbiome Program
• Exploring the link between the gut and multiple sclerosis
• Study: are food and antibiotics linked to irritable bowel syndrome?
• Vaginal microbes point toward early detection and screening for endometrial cancer
• Probiotics and diet: learning the facts about gut health
• This diet’s for you: personalized nutrition to improve your health

Hear experts in microbiome research and precision medicine

This year’s Individualizing Medicine Conference will feature two distinguished experts in the human microbiome: Rob Knight, Ph.D., and David Relman, M.D., who will share their compelling research at the conference on Oct. 9-10 in Rochester, Minnesota. Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine is hosting the sixth annual conference with support from the Jackson Family Foundation.

• Register today via the conference website.
• See the schedule.
• Review the list of speakers.

Join our community

Follow the latest news related to the conference on the Center for Individualized Medicine blog, Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter at @MayoClinicCIM and use the hashtag #CIMCon17.

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Listen: Mayo Clinic Radio 11/12/16

According to the National Institutes of Health, chronic pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. Chronic pain is the most common cause of disability in the U.S., and it’s often treated with opioid pain medications. But opioids have side effects, including the risk of addiction. To find better ways to manage chronic pain, clinical trials at Mayo Clinic are testing complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, massage and yoga, as alternatives to medications. On Mayo Clinic Radio, Dr. Brent Bauer, director of the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program, explains complementary pain management therapies. Dr. Bauer unveils Mayo Clinic’s new Well Living Lab, which studies the connection between healthy living and the indoor environment. Also on the program, psychologist Dr. Bridget Biggs discusses the childhood obesity epidemic. And radiation oncologist Dr. Nadia Laack gives an update on the Mayo Clinic Proton Beam Therapy Program.

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Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

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According to the National Institutes of Health, chronic pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. Chronic pain is the most common cause of disability in the U.S., and it’s often treated with opioid pain medications. But opioids have side effects, including the risk of addiction. To find better ways to manage chronic pain, clinical trials at Mayo Clinic are testing complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, massage and yoga, as alternatives to medications. On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Brent Bauer, director of the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program, explains complementary pain management therapies. Dr. Bauer also will unveil Mayo Clinic’s new Well Living Lab, which studies the connection between healthy living and the indoor environment. Also on the program, psychologist Dr. Bridget Biggs will discuss the childhood obesity epidemic. And radiation oncologist Dr. Nadia Laack will give an update on the Mayo Clinic Proton Beam Therapy Program.

Listen to the program on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 9:05 a.m. CST, and follow #MayoClinicRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Access archived shows.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Complementary therapies for pain management appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Childhood obesity

Many factors can contribute to weight issues during childhood, including:

• Diet
• Lack of exercise
• Family factors
• Psychological issues
• Socioeconomic conditions

One of the best strategies for reducing childhood obesity is to improve the eating and exercise habits of your entire family.

In this Mayo Clinic Minute, pediatric psychologist Dr. Bridget Biggs offers ideas for promoting healthy living at your house. Jeff Olsen reports.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (0:59) is in the downloads. Read the script.

The post Mayo Clinic Minute: How to help overweight kids get healthier appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Listen to the program on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 9:05 a.m. CST.

Miss the show?  Here's the Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

Access archived shows.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Pain management / Well Living Lab / childhood obesity / proton beam therapy appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.