Good Fit Teen Weight and Wellness Clinic

The Good Fit Teen Weight and Wellness Clinic at UMass Memorial Medical Center – Children’s Medical Center is your child’s first step on a path toward healthy living. Created specifically for adolescents who are struggling with obesity and its side effects, our multidisciplinary team helps teens create and reach their own personal goals while decreasing their risk for developing medical health problems.

Our six-month teenage obesity treatment program is designed for patients who are committed to achieving better health by focusing on the importance of lifestyle changes, including healthy nutrition and physical activity, as the cornerstone to having long-term success with their weight.

Is the Good Fit Teen Weight and Wellness Clinic the Right Fit for Your Teen?

If you can answer yes to these questions on your child’s behalf, Good Fit may be the right fit for your teen: 

• Is your child 13 years of age or older? 
• Does your teen have a body mass index greater than 35? BMI Calculator
• Does your child have obesity-related medical problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or pre-diabetes, sleep apnea, or high cholesterol? 
• Has your teen tried and failed to lose weight before? 
• Are you concerned that your child’s weight is negatively affecting his/her quality of life, social interactions, self-esteem, mood or behavior? 
• Are you and your child willing to work with a multidisciplinary team that includes a medical specialist, dietitian and psychologist?

Getting Started: Is Your Teen Ready to Take the First Step Toward a Healthier Life?

If your child meets the medical criteria for the program, he/she will be required to attend our online orientation session in order to schedule a consultation. 

During your child’s first appointment — they will meet with our program’s medical director to talk with your child about his/her medical history, previous attempts at weight loss, and eating and exercise habits. Your child also will undergo an evaluation by our program dietitian and behavioral health specialist. Good Fit patients attend dietitian led nutrition classes with their peer group. They also received on-going nutrition visits with the dietitian throughout the program, including post-operatively. 

We aim to help your child set wellness goals and establish a personalized treatment plan to empower them. Attendance to appointments, overall motivation and ability to adopt lifestyle changes are all factors we consider when determining readiness for weight loss surgery.

Is Your Teen a Candidate for Weight Loss Surgery?

Sometimes, despite lifestyle changes and a commitment to losing weight, teens are unable to reach their goals. In these cases — and when they face serious obesity-related medical problems — bariatric (weight-loss) surgery may be the best option. In fact, bariatric surgery has become the standard of care in these situations. Some questions to answer when considering weight-loss surgery: 

• Are you willing to take part in a pediatric psychologic evaluation before and after surgery?
• If your child is female, will she agree to avoid pregnancy for at least two years after surgery? 
• Is your child willing to adhere to strict nutritional guidelines after surgery?
• Is your child able to understand how the operation works and agree with a plan to proceed to surgery?

If surgery is determined to be the right choice, we’ll work closely with you and your teen to create an individualized treatment plan. 

Refer to our frequently asked questions for more information about this weight loss option.