Statistics from the D.C. Department of Health show that the nation's capitol has some of the most overweight children in the country, but there's one school that's fighting it with a one-of-a-kind program that's getting national attention.

"We came up with the idea of CHARM school, which combines lifestyle education and preparation for a job interview basic dining etiquette with nutrition education," said Danielle Dooley, medical director at Eastern Senior High.

CHARM stands for Choosing Health And Rewarding Meals. It's a program open to all students at Eastern Senior High. It meets at lunch - a time when students don't always go for the healthier options. "About 60% of our patients in the clinic at Eastern are overweight or obese and students were coming to us and asking for solutions for things to help them manage their weight," said Dooley.

CHARM serves as a resource for students who want to make a change in their eating habits. Raiven Melton joined last year when the program kicked off. Fifteen pounds lighter, she says it's worked for her. "My blood pressure is down and everything is down. Diabetes runs in my family so at first I wasn't thinking about anything like that until I got into the program."

Melton isn't the only success story; a survey among the participants showed that CHARM did make an impact. "100% of the students who participated said that they shared what they learned with their family," said Dooley. 

The acting surgeon general presented an award to CHARM for its efforts to curb childhood obesity. Soon, CHARM school will be held outside on the track so students will also learn the importance of exercise in promoting a healthy lifestyle.

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