KAISER PROGRAM GETS KIDS THINKING, ACTING HEALTHIER.

Byline: Semhar Debessai Staff Writer

Like many kids, Edward Garcia cared as much about healthy eating as he did about social security. At age 11, he was too young to worry about such things.

But his physician told him otherwise. ``I couldn't control myself with junk food ... got too tired (and) didn't want to exercise,'' Edward said. ``My doctor suggested that I do (KP Kids).''

Now 13, Edward owes his healthier, more active lifestyle to Kaiser Permanente's program geared toward teaching young people how to eat right.

``It's a six-week lifestyle- and behavior-changing program,'' said Mei Ling Schwartz, director for Health and Physician Education at Kaiser's Panorama facility. Schwartz has worked at Kaiser for more than 20 years and has been a witness to the program's successes since its launch in 2003.

``The goal is to teach families how to eat healthy, be active (and) live a healthy lifestyle,'' Schwartz said.

April Diaz, also a graduate of the program, knows well the benefits of making it a family affair. Her parents and her four siblings all successfully completed the program.

For April, changing to a healthier lifestyle two years ago was just as much an emotional transformation as it was a physical one. ``I had a lot of bad habits that affected me ... I didn't feel good about myself.''

Now, April -- who was voted homecoming queen at North Hollywood High School and will soon be playing on the girls' football team -- sees herself as a role model for her younger siblings, introducing healthier options (her personal favorite: tofu) for them to enjoy.

Participation in the program begins with a physician referral, usually targeting kids with an unacceptably high Body Mass Index (BMI), who are overweight and therefore at risk for diabetes.

Data showed that all 300 children enrolled in the program saw significant changes in their behavior over the course of 12 months.

These changes were directly in line with the goals set by the program, which include a decrease in TV viewing, limited soda and fruit juice intake, an increase in daily fruit and vegetable consumption, increased regular exercise and family involvement in a healthier lifestyle.

And keeping in mind that kids are still growing, Schwartz assures the program ``makes sure they maintain (a healthy) weight'' for their height over time.

With two Valley facilities offering the program, plans are already in effect to expand to the Woodland Hills area and in four junior high schools in the Valley. Area YMCAs as well as the Santa Clara County school system also have sought to incorporate lessons from the program into their health curriculum.

For Edward, who used to dread doing jumping jacks, the improvement in his social life made it worth the struggle. The Millikan Middle School eighth-grader now plays football and basketball, plans on taking karate in January and, along with April, will be representing KP Kids on Kaiser's Mother Goose float in the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year's Day.

When asked if he's excited about his well-deserved moment in the spotlight, Edward responded like any other teenager, with a simple -- but genuine -- ``Yeah, very.''

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Edward Garcia, who at age 11 ``couldn't control myself with junk food,'' participated in Kaiser Permanente's health program for kids. Now, at 13, the eighth-grader, pictured with Tournament of Roses Queen Mary McCluggage, will ride on Kaiser's Rose Parade float on New Year's Day.