Send your Child to Bootcamp
CDC data shows childhood obesity is a huge problem in the U.S.
Program rewards participants with prizes for meeting fitness goals
One of the best gifts you can give a child this holiday season may not be the latest gadget, toy, or tasty treat, but instead the gift of a healthy lifestyle.
An Atlanta-based non-profit organization is doing its part to combat childhood obesity by teaching kids proper nutrition and exercise in a six-week fitness boot camp similar to NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.”
The FitWit Foundation hopes its program will catch on nationwide.
“We wanted to work with teens in a meaningful way, and we saw firsthand how fitness and physical activity in general is being neglected in this population. With a lot of help from volunteers and donors, we’ve started a program this past spring that encourages hard work and is a fun way to get in shape,” said FitWit instructor Ben Thoele.
FitWit’s program is a six-week after-school boot camp competition which rewards participants with prizes for meeting fitness goals. An iPod Nano was the grand prize for Atlanta Public Schools students completing a recent fitness session.
The need for increased fitness across the country is striking. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17.6 percent of U.S. teenagers were obese in 2006 — more than triple the rate in 1980. Obesity puts the teens at increased risk for heart disease, bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems, the CDC says.
December 20th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
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December 20th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
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