Nutrition program guides teens to healthier futures

With cooking classes, trips to the grocery store, and even take-home cooking supplies,
Dr. Artz teaches participants how to avoid weight gain and live a healthy lifestyle.

Carter County students are learning important skills on how to select and prepare healthy foods thanks to a partnership between an ETSU health provider and the Boys and Girls Club of Elizabethton.

Dr. Evelyn Artz, an ETSU healthcare provider board-certified in pediatrics, pediatric endocrinology and lifestyle medicine, is passionate about helping children learn to make healthy choices.

She received a grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics' Community Access to Child Health program that allowed her to develop an interactive after-school program in partnership with the Elizabethton Boys and Girls Club.

“As a pediatric endocrinologist, I now address concerns related to obesity and lifestyle issues that are very different than those of my early years in practice,” said Dr. Artz. “I now see patients with type 2 diabetes more and more frequently and at significantly younger ages, as well as other associated conditions such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.”

She believes many teens are motivated to change, but don't know how impactful their lifestyle decisions can be.

Through cooking classes, trips to the grocery store, and even take-home cooking supplies, Dr. Artz teaches participants how to avoid weight gain and live a healthy lifestyle.

“I know this project helps our youth and their families because of the feedback we have heard from our parents and guardians,” said Nicole Hensley, teen director of the local club. “Dr. Artz's program goes beyond the Club and directly into homes, as each visit she sends fresh, healthy groceries home with our Club members. These takeaway bags are filled with ingredients our kids used in their cooking project for this visit. Our families have contacted us and told us how much they enjoy these groceries!

Residents and medical students at ETSU's Quillen College of Medicine assisted Dr. Artz, giving them the opportunity to appreciate the importance of community outreach as providers.

Dr. Artz hopes to continue and expand the program, with the goal of guiding participants toward a healthier future.
With 30 clinical sites and more than 300 health care providers, ETSU Health is on the front lines of efforts to improve the health of Northeast Tennessee by providing cutting-edge health care in dozens of specialties.

East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a single mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. With its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practice. The university also offers nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computer science and media. ETSU enrolls approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges nationwide for graduating students with the least debt.