SUMMER FUN, FOOD & FITNESS TO HELP BALTIMORE YOUTH COMBAT OBESITY

American Council for Fitness and Nutrition Launches Healthy Living Initiative

Baltimore, June 28, 2004 - The American Council for Fitness and Nutrition (ACFN) will unveil a new nutrition education and physical activity initiative designed to empower Baltimore youth to make more informed healthy lifestyle choices. Summer Fun, Food & Fitness will emphasize the importance of regular physical activity and balanced nutrition in achieving and maintaining life long health.

“Obesity is having a devastating impact throughout the country, particularly among African-American community,” said Dr. Susan Finn, chair of ACFN. “The American Council for Fitness and Nutrition is collaborating with local leaders to educate as many families as possible about the importance of healthy lifestyle choices,” continued Dr. Finn.

Summer Fun, Food & Fitness is an eight-week summer program developed by ACFN in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Central Maryland and the Baltimore International College School of Culinary Arts. The program will feature weekly interactive cooking segments and nutrition tips to help children and families incorporate healthy eating into their daily lives. Summer Fun, Food & Fitness will also encourage children to become more physically active by demonstrating that fitness is fun and achievable both in school and at home. The summer curriculum will feature an online component in partnership with www.kidnetic.com.

“I want to commend the American Council for Fitness and Nutrition, The Boys and Girls Club of Central Maryland and their partners on making a difference in children’s lives,” said U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. “I have often said that our children are the living messages to a future we will never see. We must teach the importance of exercise and healthy living,” concluded Congressman Cummings.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than half of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. Unhealthy weight trends are even more pronounced among African-Americans, where nearly 80 percent of African-American women are overweight or obese, and nearly 61 percent of African-American men are overweight or obese. Among African-American teens, 46 percent are overweight and 27 percent are obese.

In 2002, a report prepared by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene stated that preventing overweight in childhood and adolescence is the key to reversing the obesity epidemic. Since lifelong nutrition and activity patterns are established during childhood, intervention during this time-period is crucial to the development of healthy habits.

“By addressing nutritional balance and physical activity, we're taking an integrated approach to helping young people help themselves," says Karen Bond, CEO, Boys and Girls Club of Central Maryland. “It’s critically important that we work together to help our children make healthy eating and physical activity a lifetime habit,” Bond continued.

To view a video summary of the Baltimore program, please select a format below.

Summer Fun, Food and Fitness - Windows Media Player or QuickTime.

 

CONTACT
Laura Sheehan
202.715.1526
laura@acfn.org

Christine Tucci
202.715.1517
christine@acfn.org

ABOUT THE AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR FITNESS AND NUTRITION: The American Council for Fitness and Nutrition (ACFN) is a non-profit organization that brings together food and beverage companies, associations, and health and nutrition advocates to work toward viable long-term solutions to the nation's obesity epidemic. ACFN represents a diverse group of organizations and is guided by an advisory board of experts in the fields of nutrition, physical activity and behavior change. ACFN works with partners to raise awareness of programs and policies that seek to improve health and wellness in America. For more information, please visit www.acfn.org.