4 Your Health: Family Wellness

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MILWAUKEE - A local doctor is helping to shrink Milwaukee one family at a time. We all know childhood obesity is a problem in our country, and the solution starts with the parents.

Working out has become a family affair for the Taylor's. Ten-year-old daughter Niecie exclaims, "When we go to the step aerobic place it's fun, and play music to keep you going."

Like all moms, Monique wants her children to know more than she did growing up.

"Just seeing my family around me--They have a lot of health issues, because they failed to take care of their health when they were younger," Monique says.

Monique's 13-year-old daughter Shanena is struggling with weight, and her husband Ken has had high blood pressure and cholesterol for years. Ken laments, "She was saying I'd need to take pills, and I didn't want to take no pills!"

So the family joined a new 'Family Wellness' program at the Demattia Medical Group in Milwaukee. Dr. Laure Demattia is a local family physician, and started the group a few years ago.

"We try and do a holistic approach to improving health," Dr. Demattia explains.

Dr. Demattia takes each family and designs a weight loss program just for them. She says, "I try to work with wherever people are coming from, whatever they're concerned about."

The program includes options like a community walk, and mom and daughter cooking classes.

"The foundation that I think most people need is really learning how to cook for themselves, how to cook for their family, and physical activity," Dr. Demattia says.

Monique is now incorporating less red meat and more grains and vegetables into her family's diet. Guess what? The kids like it, especially Shanena.

"I really like baked chicken, because it's really, good and green beans, I love my mom's green beans," she gushes.

The whole family is seeing results. Everyone is losing weight, and Ken's blood pressure is down--without having to take pills!

"I have more energy through the day, just able to do a lot more," Ken says.

Thanks to Dr. Demattia and her support system, the Taylor's and many other families in Milwaukee are walking the path to wellness.

"We all have each other to support each other, because if we see our parents doing it, it's easier for us to do it....because they're our role models," Shanena exclaims.

Dr. Demattia also offers meditation and stress management classes to help families with all aspects of wellness.