Helping kids get fit — one step at a time

Families participating in Fitness in the City (FIC), a partnership with Boston Children’s Hospital, get referrals to resources and educational offerings like this cooking class. “How many tortillas do you eat at dinner?” Francisca Guevara asks the boy and his parents. “Okay,” she says when they tell her three. “Do you think you could eat two instead? Or even just one?” They nod in agreement: That seems possible. As the associate director of community health and outreach for Charles River Community Health, Guevara recognizes the need to meet families where they are, tailoring her suggestions to fit their traditions. “We can’t tell people that they can no longer eat the foods that are important to their culture,” she explains. “That just puts families on the defensive. But we can explain why certain foods aren’t healthy and suggest that they eat smaller or less-frequent portions.” Charles River is just one of 10 Boston-area community health centers participating in Fitness in the City (FIC). This partnership with Boston Children’s Hospital connects overweight and obese kids and their families with nutritional information, opportunities for physical activity and motivational support within their own communities. As the program enters its 13th year, remarkable findings from a new analysis show that FIC is making a real impact on the health of Boston families. Real benefits Every year, FIC enrolls about 1,000 kids ages 5 to 18, all of whom have been...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Health & Wellness Parenting Fitness in the City (FIC) Office of Community Health Shari Nethersole Source Type: news