Rainbow Pediatrics Opens Strong Kids Nutrition Clinic in Fayetteville, NC
Make Food Your Strength, Not Your Weakness.
As parents and caregivers, we want the very best for our children. But there is a rising number of children who are overweight or obese in North Carolina, and that number has been growing steadily since 2012.
The latest data shows that 19.8% of youth ages 10 to 17 have obesity – that means roughly one in five children is obese in NC. It also means that our great state has the 10th highest obesity rate in the US. But obesity isn’t the only challenge our pediatric population is facing. There are also kids on the other side of the spectrum – who can’t keep on the weight they need to develop normally.
That’s why Dr. Sanniya Nanda and Rainbow Pediatrics’ founder, Taner Esensoy, M.D., started the Strong Kids Clinic, a nutrition clinic dedicated to kids and teens. Dr. Nanda is a certified Culinary Medicine specialist and has dedicated a large portion of her practice to helping children and their families better understand food. To Dr. Nanda, knowledge has the power to reduce obesity for life, which is why it is critical to begin working with kids at a young age.
The clinic, which officially opened on May 3rd, is held on Tuesday afternoons in the Rainbow Pediatrics’ Fayetteville clinic. More days and times will be added to ensure patients receive the support they need.
The initial appointment for the Strong Kids Nutrition Clinic is 30 minutes in length to allow Dr. Nanda time to work with parents and caregivers on the building blocks necessary for her to put a customized plan into place. Once a plan is developed, future check-in visits may be scheduled every three or six months, depending on the individual.
What Happens in a Strong Kids Nutrition Clinic Appointment?
The most important question any parent, caregiver, or kid would want to be answered before signing up for the Strong Kids Clinic is what’s in it for me? This clinic, as mentioned, isn’t just for addressing obesity. It is for anyone who wants to develop a plan for total health during the most critical and impressionable years of a young person’s life. For example, from a very granular level, Dr. Nanda teaches her patients about BMI or body mass index and lets them know precisely where they fall. And she’s not afraid to tell her patients what her BMI is either! Other vital topics include talking about exercise and activity and helping kids develop an interest in food – from grocery shopping to meal preparation.
According to Dr. Nanda, “Helping kids develop an interest and eventual confidence in meal planning, food purchasing, and meal preparation allows them to feel they have more power in what they’re putting into their bodies.”
No one likes to be told what to do, and food is one place where kids can exert control. They can eat food or choose not to. Teaching them how to make the best choices based on their body type and health history is critical to healthy development.
The Strong Kids Nutrition Clinic is open to existing Rainbow Pediatrics patients of record. To learn more about the Strong Kids Clinic or schedule an initial appointment with Dr. Nanda, call 910-486-5437.