Marco's Story

A lacrosse player dashes farther down the field, breaks free from his defender and delivers the ball into the net, cheered on by fellow high school teammates and parents on the sidelines. The player is 11th-grader Marco Petersen. Just like other athletes, he prides himself on discipline and hard work—two qualities that have made him successful in more than sports alone.

Since January 2008, Marco has been a patient at the Weight Management and Wellness Center of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Once an overweight young man with poor eating habits, he has transformed into an active athlete who maintains a healthy lifestyle.

“The key for Marco has been motivation—he made the commitment himself to change and make the effort to eat healthfully and be active,” says Anne Marie Kuchera, MS, MA, RD, a behavioral therapist and nutritionist for the center. “Our specialists worked with him to promote gradual weight loss over time, but his success was primarily driven by his own determination. He also has an incredibly supportive family.”

When Marco first came to the Weight Management and Wellness Center, he had a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 31.21 and a waist circumference of 101.5 cm, indicating obesity. Center specialists assessed his measurements, lifestyle habits, activity level, diet and history of losing and gaining weight. Following the appointment, Petersen began to make several changes in his life.

“It definitely was intense at first,” says Marco. “I joined the lacrosse team, and I had to make a lot of changes to my eating habits. No matter when it was, I always wanted to come back to the (Weight Management and Wellness) Center having made progress.”

Ms. Kuchera says that the statistics reveal his incredible progress. Between the end of January 2008 and Oct. 15, 2008, Petersen lost 17.5 cm off his waist, his BMI dropped nearly six points and his body fat percentage has decreased significantly.

More than a year later, Marco returns to Children’s Weight Management and Wellness Center every two or three months. He has made the necessary changes to his diet and lifestyle, so now he works to maintain his weight.

“Originally Marco worked very hard to change his lifestyle habits, and now the goal is maintenance,” says Ms. Kuchera. “We continue to discuss how to make healthy food choices that will allow him to manage his weight and perform well in lacrosse, how to stay active when he does not have the structure of the sport, and how to maintain a balance between discipline and living the life of a normal teenager.”

Susan Petersen, Marco’s mother, has continued to be impressed by her son’s self-motivation and independence. She explains that, although their family made some changes together, Marco held himself accountable for the choices he was making.

“I can see how rewarding it’s been for him,” says Ms. Petersen. “His self-confidence is soaring—not only because he looks and feels great, but because he knows he can thank himself for a lot of his success.”