First Nonprofit Integrated “Weight Loss” Boarding School to Open in North Carolina

Press Release

Patterson, NC- (mmd-news) - - The first nonprofit weight loss boarding school, The Healthy Children Academy (HCA), www.HealthyChildrenAcademy.org, will open at the Patterson School www.PattersonSchool.org, in Lenoir, North Carolina in January, 2006. The Patterson School offers day and boarding classes for grades seven through 12, and post-graduate studies are available for those students who desire additional preparation for college or a career. The school is located on 1,400 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Lenoir, North Carolina. The Patterson School is dedicated to the development of the whole student, academically, spiritually, and physically and provides an environment that stimulates the intellectual and social growth of the student. The Patterson School offers a wide range of activities, programs, and classes for students, including athletics, drama, art, and music, technology, an Equestrian Center, and more. The students are also encouraged to join activities such as the yearbook, student newspaper, outdoor club, art club, chorus, riding club, astronomy club, judiciary committee and the student government board.

Healthy Children Academy students will be integrated with the Patterson School student body in the classrooms, dorms, and dining facilities. Headmaster Colin Stevens wants to train all Patterson School students to make healthy living choices.

“The primary goal of the Academy will be to balance studies with nutrition and exercise,” he said. "We want to provide a safe nurturing environment and help children build their self-esteem. With Ira Green as the program’s director we will be able to incorporate many of the proven lifestyle-changing activities used in his Camp Timber Creek summer program.”

The Advisory Board Members for the Healthy Children Academy are:
Dr. Gerard J. Musante is the founder and director of Structure House, www.StructureHouse.com, a residential weight management lifestyle clinic in Durham, North Carolina since 1977. Dr. Musante is a consultant professor with the Duke University Medical Center.

Dr. Walter J. Pories is the President of the American Society of Bariatric Surgery, plus a professor of surgery and biochemistry at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Dr. Pories is also a member of the National Institutes of Health Task Force on the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity.

Dr. Dennis Gage, M.D., F.A.C.P. is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Clinical Nutrition. He is a Clinical Instructor in Medicine at New York University and an Attending Physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in NYC. Attending Physician at Beth Israel Medical Center, NYC Dr. Gage has a private practice in NYC. Member, NAASO, ADA, AMA.  Dr. Gage is the author of The Thinderella Syndrome: A Practical Guide to Individualized Permanent Weight Loss- www.thethinderellasyndrome.com. Dr. Gage has conducted several research projects in the treatment of obesity.
          
Green is the owner of Healthy Kids Camps, www.HealthyKidsCamps.com, and the founder of the non-profit Healthy Children Foundation.

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