Reid Foundation

Joe Thornburg and his younger brother, Ben, spend their days on the Winchester farm bailing hay and caring for their horses. When not on the farm, they can be found on the basketball court at school or coon hunting with friends.

Seeing Joe now, though, is much different than seeing him in January of 2010. After gaining 17 pounds in 4 months, Joe and his mother, Beverly, knew something was wrong. They soon visited Dr. Rider who recommended Reid’s STOP (Stop Taking On Pounds) program. Beverly took Dr. Rider’s advice and chose to enroll Ben as well, since at age 12 he was showing similar tendencies.

“What really concerned us was Joe’s high glucose, which indicated he was carbohydrate intolerant,” Beverly said. Without a change, he would soon become a type-II diabetic.

“I thought it was stupid at first,” Joe admits. “I didn’t want to go.” He then met the staff who were nice and encouraged him to put effort into the program.

“I like the log to keep track of my meals.” The STOP food house demonstrates the number of servings and portion sizes participants should eat, and a special log helps them easily track those servings.

“One of the first things we did was purchase serving-size glasses so we would know how much we were drinking,” said Beverly. “We made sure everyone began eating breakfast and getting enough sleep.”

“I used to just eat junk food because it was there,” Joe said. Now we don’t have it in the house.”

Although Joe and Ben were the ones actually enrolled in the program, the entire family learned positive behaviors bringing positive results to them all. For example, their brother, Mark, lost 10 pounds.

“It was also fun doing all the activities – basketball, jump rope, soccer,” Joe added.

By the end of the 12-week program, Joe had lost 26 pounds and continued to lose, bringing his total to 30 pounds today. The weight loss has improved his overall quality of life. He is more comfortable riding horses and has better balance. Whether bailing hay or working in the barn, his endurance is remarkably better. He has seen an improvement at school. And he has the increased energy to spend more time doing activities with his friends and playing basketball.

Ben, who is still growing, didn’t lose many pounds, but his body fat significantly decreased. “It was a lot easier having my brother there.” He enjoyed the healthy competition with Joe through the various activities, and, of course, both boys touted their wins!

Joe would encourage other kids who struggle with healthy choices to consider STOP “It helps kids if they will actually do it.”

“I didn’t realize how much better I’d feel,” said Joe. “I am glad I did it.”

STOP (Stop Taking On Pounds)

STOP (Stop Taking On Pounds) is a physician-referred 12-week weight management program for children and adolescents ages 7-17. The purpose of STOP is to improve the physical and emotional health of the entire family. By learning more about eating right, exercising and choosing healthy lifestyle habits, children and adolescents can reach their weight management goals.

Reid Hospital Foundation provides this program $85,000 program to the community free of charge. Although some insurance companies will pay a portion of the cost, most do not. Please join us in support of this important endeavor by making a donation to the STOP fund. Your gift will make a difference in the lives of our youth.

We at Reid understand that habits – good or bad – begin at a young age. Our hope is to instill positive habits that will last a lifetime.