DECATUR - Finding out she was borderline diabetic at age 14 made Elizabeth Coburn get serious about losing weight.

So she followed her doctor's advice and improved her insulin level by losing 40 pounds in the past year. Then she celebrated by walking the full 5K in this summer's Komen Decatur Race for the Cure instead of stopping at a mile as she used to do.

"I feel like I have more energy now," said Elizabeth, now 15 and soon to be a sophomore at Eisenhower High School. "I also like clothes shopping more. I feel better about how I look when I try things on."

Although her goal is to lose 40 more pounds, she is gearing up to serve as a role model starting in September for children enrolling in the new Pediatric Weight Control Program sponsored by Decatur Memorial Hospital and Decatur Family YMCA.

The pediatrician associated with the program, Dr. Mayra Arzon, said Elizabeth is always smiling as she comes for appointments weighing less than she did the time before. "Her diagnosis scared her and motivated her to do something about it," the doctor said. "It's been rewarding to see."

Arzon advised Elizabeth to eat healthier foods and exercise, but she also asked her mother, Vickie Cooper, to change her grocery shopping habits.

Mother and daughter usually go shopping together, checking nutrition labels for the caloric and fat content. They also don't eat out as much as they once did.

"We ate too much fast food when I was working full time and going to school full time," said Cooper, who earned her bachelor's degree in business management from Millikin University in December.

They have also gone to Weight Watchers meetings together for the past year, and Elizabeth follows along with a 45-minute salsa aerobics video two or three times a week. "She's more dedicated than I am," Cooper said with a smile.

But Arzon said Cooper's support was key to Elizabeth's success, just as parental involvement will be crucial to children in the new program.

Elizabeth said she continues to enjoy going out with her friends while watching her weight.

"I can still eat whatever they eat," she said. "I just choose things that are not as high in fat, and I don't eat as much."

Theresa Churchill can be reached at tchurchill@;herald-review.com or 421-7978.