From Karate three times a week to fitting in some gym time in between, there’s never a dull moment for Christian Cary.  Exercise is a constant, and so is healthy eating.  He maybe an active kid, but he has an adult problem, at 12-years-old, he’s not only obese, but also pre-diabetic.

“I have a very low metabolism,” Christian said.  ”Everyone else has a high one.”

“We've always been aware of it and trying to figure out what we can do,” said his mother, Nikki Cary. 

Nikki said Christian has been heavy since he was a baby, but she has always kept him on sports teams and out exercising to try to keep his weight down.

“It's hard enough being a kid that's just status quo like every other kid,” Nikki said.  “So, I just don't want the playing field to be not level for him.”

With Christians weight not getting better, the Carys turned to a new doctor who hopes to help the family from different angles.  Dr. Wendy Scinta is a bariatric physician who says that many health problems can be solved by not only losing weight but also figuring out why a person is not losing weight.

“She is so frustrated, she has tried everything with this kid,” said Dr. Scinta.  She added that Nikki has never gotten to the heart of Christian’s problem, insulin resistance.

Dr. Scinta recommended a hypoglycemic medicine as well as a vitamin D supplement to help Christian get his weight down.

“I've lost something around 10-11 pounds,” said Christian. 

Nikki said they look forward to getting weighed every time they go to Dr. Scinta’s office.  She added that it keeps her inspired to keep working out and eating healthy.

“We're trying all kinds of new foods,” she said.  “They're not minding it, they're actually trusting me for once in their life!”

Dr. Scinta said her goal is for Christian to lose between 30 and 50 pounds to get down to a healthy weight. 

“Athletically, I really want to do football,” Christian said about starting to middle school next year.  He said he’s looking forward to a new start.  “When I’m at school, I just really don’t want my appearance to get in the way of my actual skills.”