Baystate Health Expands MIGHTY Weight-management Program to Scantic Valley YMCA

WILBRAHAM — Baystate Health announced plans to expand its MIGHTY program to Scantic Valley YMCA beginning in January 2020. MIGHTY, which stands for Moving, Improving, and Graining Together at the YMCA, is a six-month weight-management program that offers treatment for childhood obesity through exercise, nutrition education, and a free membership to the YMCA for families.

“The MIGHTY program addresses childhood obesity in a comprehensive way,” said Dr. Charlotte Boney, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Baystate Children’s Hospital. “Engaging family and community in this effort provides the children in the program with added levels of support, increasing the likelihood of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.”

The program is also offered at YMCA of Greater Springfield, YMCA in Greenfield, and YMCA of Greater Westfield. The program is supported by a grant from Kohl’s Cares, which awarded the program another grant of $200,000 to continue supporting the programs in Greenfield and Westfield and to expand the offering to Wilbraham.

“We are so excited to be in this partnership with Baystate with the support of Kohl’s to be offering this incredibly important program to our community,” said Debbie Kelder, executive director of the Scantic Valley YMCA. “We are so focused on families and providing a positive, uplifting, supportive place to be, and this really falls in line with our goals.”

In addition to the MIGHTY program, the funds are helping to combat childhood obesity by aiding the Baystate Pediatric Weight Management Program.