030104 Fast Food Is Out; Fast Teen Is InJanuary 7, 2003USA TODAY - Trey Olano of Marrero, La., grew up on a diet of fried seafood, pizza and other fast food. By the time he was 12, he weighed 205 pounds, far too much for his age and height. He wanted to run faster and be better at sports, and he wanted to feel better about himself. ''I can't say I wasn't happy,'' Trey says. ''I always had friends. I wasn't one of those big kids who nobody talked to. But I got down on myself and looked in the mirror and said, 'I need to lose weight.' '' His family agreed. So his dad, Marcum Olano, and his grandmother, Julia Agoff, enrolled Trey in the Committed to Kids pediatric weight-management program at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. Trey attended weekly meetings and learned to cut back on fast food, eat smaller portions, limit snacks and sweets and be more active. His entire family -- dad, stepmom, mom, grandmother and grandfather -- supported his efforts and began to revamp the family's eating habits: preparing grilled meats, offering more fruits and vegetables and keeping snacks out of the house. ''It was a total commitment on his part, so it had to be a total commitment on our part,'' says Marcum, who also has two daughters ages 6 and 18 months. They also stopped going to fast-food restaurants. ''We couldn't go to Burger King and everybody order fast food and expect him to eat a grilled chicken,'' Marcum says. Trey lost more than 30 pounds in 10 months while growing 2 inches. Now, at 5-foot-8, the 14-year-old weighs 170 to 174 pounds. This year, as an eighth-grader, Trey played football on the varsity team. Now he's wrestling, and he'll play baseball in the spring. Marcum says the weight loss helped his son's esteem and confidence. ''It also made him quicker, stronger, more energetic,'' says Marcum, who lost 13 pounds himself. Trey eats a grilled chicken sandwich and a salad for lunch, and he often has grilled meat and vegetables for dinner. He likes to snack on rice cakes. He says he doesn't miss fast food, although he occasionally has pizza. He feels sorry for other kids who are too heavy. ''I know what they going through. I know their hunger, and I know how they feel about eating. ''I know how they look on themselves. I know they want to get better, but they don't have enough motivation to do it. And if they don't have their family behind them, they can't do it.'' Trey plans to maintain his weight. ''I don't want to be heavy again. I don't like how it feels.''
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