Bright Bodies at Yale is a comprehensive healthy lifestyle program for children ages 7 to 16 years old utilizing the Smart Moves™ Program curriculum and model. It includes 4 main components:

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Nutrition Education

The program teaches better food choices and appropriate portion sizes for best long-term results. Dieting is not recommended since it encourages short-term changes and does not generally lead to permanent success. Registered Dietitians (RD) or master-level nutritionists teach all nutrition-related topics (40 minute class). Parents and caregivers are encouraged to join all nutrition-related classes since they do the grocery shopping and cooking and therefore need to be a role model for the family.

Physical Activity

In addition to improving eating behaviors, the program's goal is to increase children's physical activity level. Activity promotes weight loss and, later, helps maintain weight.  Children are encouraged to exercise 30 to 40 minutes five times per week. The program offers two 50 minute, moderate cardiovascular workouts each week of the program. Trained exercise physiologists supervise the exercise component. The Bright Bodies Program offers an array of activity choices for overweight children such as, flag football, dancing, basketball, races, and active games.

Behavioral Modification

Children will become more aware of overeating triggers and ultimately learn ways to cope with such triggers. The program carefully works on maintaining or developing a positive self-concept. RDs or mental health workers facilitate this portion of the program (40 minute class) and use the Smart Moves™ Workbook as a reference. Parents and caregivers are actually discouraged from attending these class topics since the children partake in more frank discussions without a parental figure present.

Parent/Caregiver Classes

Parents/caregivers will learn how to be role models to promote healthy behavior changes in the family environment.  This component takes a solution-focused approach and encourages caregivers to be mindful of the whole child, and to increase the identification of the positive characteristics of the child. These classes provide support for parents/caregivers and allow for the opportunity to discuss challenges and celebrate successes with other parents/caregivers.

We have three 10 to 12 week sessions each year: January to April, May to July, and September to December.

There are two types of Bright Bodies programs offered at Yale: hybrid (one day in person and one remote) and virtual (both days remote).

If you have a child or know a child who may benefit from our program, please contact us.

“I’m running like a cheetah now.”
— Juan, 8 years old
“The non-diet approach is eating healthier my way.”
— Chloe, 10 years old

Resources

Our Research

  • Why we don’t diet for long-term success and how we help with a child’s self-concept (the two are related!) (Read more)

  • First randomized study (1 year data) looking at body mass index (BMI) and other health outcomes (Read more)

  • Follow-up of randomized study (2 year data) (Read more)

  • How the program benefits kids with elevated blood glucose (Read more)

  • How the program benefits low self-esteem and poor family functioning (Read more)

  • Real world outcome data of the Bright Bodies program over a 10 year period (Read more)

Other References