Frequently Asked Questions

Wait times can vary widely from location to location, depending on site capacity and volume of referrals. Our team makes every effort to minimize delays. If you have questions about your child’s referral, please contact the program location you were referred to.

Generation Health Clinic accepts referrals for all children/teens between 6 and 17 who meet our eligibility criteria. As part of our assessment, we will determine if our physical activity group program will fit your child’s unique needs. If it is not the best option for your child’s needs, we will work with you to find alternative resources and supports.

Generation Health Clinic accepts referrals from physicians and nurse practitioners. If you do not currently have a primary care provider, we may accept a referral from a physician at a walk-in clinic if the referring provider can provide follow-up and continuity of care. If you are looking for a primary care provider, sign up here to be matched with a family doctor or nurse practitioner in your area: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-connect-registry#getdoctorornp

Virtual appointments and group education sessions are currently available at two locations:

• BC Children’s Hospital  for families living on Vancouver Island and in Northern BC
• Kamloops Public Health Unit for families living anywhere within the Interior Health Region.

You may still be required to attend your initial intake appointment in-person.

Virtual group education sessions  may be available through the Fraser Health Authority locations and the Vancouver Coastal  Health Authority location, based on capacity, interest and needs.

Only the child/teen referred to Generation Health Clinic will receive a comprehensive assessment and attend individual appointments with the clinical team. Group education sessions are dedicated to parents and caregivers only. However, siblings and other family members are welcome and encouraged to attend the family physical activity group program led by an exercise specialist. We also encourage you to make healthy living changes together as a family by applying what you learn while enrolled with us.

Generation Health Clinic is not a diet or weight loss program. Families are supported in making healthy living changes by focusing on family connections, balanced eating, active living, screen time, sleep and mental well-being. Menu plans or strict diets are not part of our clinic’s approach.

A child’s mental health is an important part of healthy living. Our mental health professional completes an assessment to evaluate your child’s psychosocial well-being. As part of this assessment, they screen for emotional concerns, disordered eating behaviours, poor body image, and low self-esteem. They also assess whether your child and family are prepared to start making healthy living changes or participate in group programming.

We are not a mental health program. Our mental health professional (Licensed Psychologist, Registered Social Worker, or Clinical Counsellor) will meet with your child at the initial assessment appointment to complete a psychosocial assessment. This will assist in identifying mental health concerns that may impact participation in our clinic. We can offer recommendations and guidance if your child needs further diagnosis, assessment, or community mental health resources. It is important to note that our mental health professionals do not provide psychoeducational assessments; typically, these are provided through schools or private pay clinics.

Generation Health Community closed on June 30^th, 2025 due to funding challenges. HealthLink BC is a trusted provincial resource for healthy living information for families.  For questions about, or support with, your child’s eating or physical activity, call 8-1-1 to speak with a registered dietitian or qualified exercise professional.

Wait times for the initial intake appointment can vary widely from location to location, depending on site capacity and volume of referrals. Our team makes every effort to minimize delays. In the interim, if you have any concerns with regards to severe obesity-related complications for your patient (e.g., type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea), please initiate the appropriate investigations or referrals while your patient is waiting for their assessment appointment with our team. If your patient’s medical status changes, please send us any updates to keep the referral information up to date.

Our interdisciplinary team consists of physicians, licensed dietitians, and mental health professionals (which may include a Licensed Psychologist, Registered Social Worker, or Clinical Counsellor). During the initial intake appointment, Our team will meet with your patient and their family  for a comprehensive medical, psychosocial, nutrition, and healthy living assessment. In collaboration with your patient and their family, we will develop an individualized care plan to guide the healthy living support they will receive from our allied health team. We may also refer to appropriate specialists or community resources when indicated.

Our interdisciplinary team will summarize our assessment and recommendations after seeing your patient, send update reports as needed, and prepare a discharge report with recommendations for follow-up. We arrange investigations and referrals and collaborate with community providers when indicated. We are available for consults as needed.

You could help by ensuring your patient/family is aware of the referral to Generation Health Clinic and knows as much about our clinic as possible. Families may be directed to the Generation Health Clinic website to learn more about the program, what to expect, and to access healthy living resources.

While each family’s journey through the clinic is unique, families may be enrolled in Generation Health Clinic from several months to up to two years. We provide a discharge report with recommendations for follow-up to ensure continuity of care for your patients. After discharge, we welcome re-referral if your patient continues to meet eligibility criteria.

Our clinic goal is to improve the physical, metabolic, and emotional health of the child/teen and to reduce their risk of chronic disease. This is achieved by supporting healthy living changes within the family. Past evaluations of our program show changes in the following:

• increase in physical activity and vegetable intake
• decrease in sedentary behaviour, recreational screen time, sugary drink consumption, processed foods, and/or packaged meals
• reduction in BMI z-score and fasting insulin
• improvement in physical health, psychosocial health, self-concept scores, anxiety scores, and total quality of life scores

Weight loss is not an expected clinic outcome. Rather, Generation Health Clinic helps support a gradual return to healthy growth trajectories.

Generation Health Community closed on June 30^th, 2025 due to funding challenges. HealthLink BC is a trusted provincial resource for healthy living information for families.  For questions about, or support with, your child’s eating or physical activity, call 8-1-1 to speak with a registered dietitian or qualified exercise professional.