Maria Shriver

Robin Sinkhorn

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Blog Posts

• November 2, 2011

  In the News

  

  Finding Balance: Five Ways to Help Your Child with Special Needs Reach and Maintain a Healthy Weight

  As the parent of a child with an intellectual disability, I know how difficult it is to help my daughter make healthy food choices. As a nurse, I know that we will not be able to solve this nation’s obesity crisis if we fail to include the millions of families like mine who are caring for a child with special needs or a disability.

  Even though my daughter Lauren, 21, now has a successful acting career on Glee and works hard to control her diet, she has struggled with weight for much of her life.

  She’s not alone. Among teens with Down syndrome, the obesity rate is 86%, according to a landmark study released this week by AbilityPath.org, an online community for parents and professionals serving the needs of adults and children with disabilities. “Finding Balance: Obesity and Children with Special Needs,” is the first study to focus exclusively on a population that is deeply affected, yet largely excluded from the national conversation about obesity. And it’s long overdue.