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VCU T.E.E.N.S. Program
The Teaching, Encouragement, Exercise, Nutrition and Support program at VCU is a healthy weight management program for children and adolescents from 11 to 18 years old. The program has enrolled more than 350 participants 
in the greater Richmond area since 2003 and is a collaborative effort between the departments of Pediatrics, Health and Human Performance, and Psychology.
For participants, the program spans two years and consists of nutrition education sessions with registered dietitians; physical activity sessions in the Department of Health and Human Performance’s Wellness Laboratory under the supervision of faculty and students; behavioral support sessions conducted by VCU Department of Psychology graduate students and faculty; and a parent education intervention targeting parental health behaviors and parenting skills. Adolescents undergo a complete medical assessment by a VCU physician, a comprehensive metabolic assessment at the VCU General Clinical Research Center and physical fitness testing in the laboratory.
This innovative program makes a direct impact on area families that are contending with adolescent obesity, a major public health issue. In addition to the impact on the community, this comprehensive service program operates as a learning laboratory for numerous disciplines — such as exercise science, psychology and medicine — and supports collaborative faculty research activities.
Get involved
To support this program or get involved as a volunteer, Janet Delorme at jdelorm@vcu.edu.