How this DO uses hip hop to combat obesity

For Tyree Winters, DO, teaching his patients hip hop dance gives them a way to stay active. Dr. Winters has danced all his life. As an overweight child, it helped him stay fit.

As an obesity specialist, he wanted to help his patients incorporate moderate physical activity into their lives the same fun way he did, so he began teaching dance classes in his clinic waiting rooms and at the local YMCA. The great thing about dancing is that you don’t need equipment, money or much space to do it, he notes—patients can dance in the middle of their living rooms and at gatherings with friends and family.

“By the time you finish dancing, especially if you went and had a fun time at a party and were just out dancing, you realize, wow, I really worked out. I’m really exhausted and tired, and I loved it,” Dr. Winters says.

Make a change by being you

In Philadelphia, Dr. Winters demonstrated his moves at OMED 2017—see him in action in the video above. He encouraged physicians to share their passions with their patients and lead by example.

“You can go into your community, and you can make a change just simply by being you,” Dr. Winters says.

Further reading on physicians leading their patients by example

Burnout & time constraints: Physicians and patients walk it out
Let’s talk about nutrition: 4 ways to advise your patients on what to eat
Going solo: Why I started my own practice based on exercise and nutrition