Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital program aims to help overweight kids

CLEVELAND - At 14 years old, Alex Cheplowitz was considered clinically obese. He was bullied, teased and tormented.

"He was picked on, on the bus, so he didn't take the bus anymore. He was picked on in school, I think he was depressed, he had anger issues," said Alex's dad Mark Cheplowitz.

His parents said it was affecting his health -- both mentally and physically.

"It was to the point where I was crying in class, kids would poke my stomach, they would call me the Pillsbury doughboy and fat boy," said Alex Cheplowitz.

That's when his mom, WDOK morning co-host, Terry Moir, knew she had to do something. She heard about a program at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital called Healthy Kids, Healthy Weight.

"I talked to Alex and I said this is a program designed for kids like you," said Moir.

The program has evaluated more than 900 overweight and obese children from the ages of four to eight since 2005. A team of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists and others treat the kids. The program also educates families about creating healthy eating habits. The program has three phases, the evaluation phase, the education phase and the maintenance phase.

The program teaches kids how to eat right, exercise and make good choices about food. Alex Cheplowitz completed the intense 12-week course.

"I was so impressed, nobody ever said the word diet or you needed to loose weight, it was all positive," said Moir.

Now at 15 years old, Alex is in the normal range for weight -- the program changed Alex's life. Alex lost eight percent of his body fat in about a year. He exercises and eats right.

"I feel better, I feel like I look better, people tell  me I look better," said Cheplowitz.

Click here for more information about the program: http://on.wews.com/sm1cJF