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NAPLES — Children nationwide are back in school now and that means new rules.
It also could mean learning new habits in the cafeteria.
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint venture of the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, is kicking off “Go Healthy Month” in September to push the message about healthy eating and physical activity among children.
The alliance was formed two years ago to combat childhood obesity in the United States, in which one in three children are overweight or obese.
The alliance’s Web site for kids, www.igohugo.org, has been revamped and now offers interactive games to teach them about the basics of healthy eating, portion control and the importance of physical activity.
Kids can take a health challenge and after completing a series of educational games, they receive a certificate.
The obesity epidemic among American children has doubled in the past 20 years, according to the alliance.
Twenty-five million kids are overweight or obese and at risk of developing life-threatening illnesses, namely type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
“It’s not just an issue of cosmetics,” said Dr. Stephen R. Daniels, with the alliance and chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “Now these children are developing diseases we used to associate with adults.”
In Southwest Florida, the heart association promotes the alliance’s “Go Healthy” program at the annual Heart Walk fundraisers in Collier and Lee counties.
There are kids’ activities and pledge cards they can sign saying they will work to eat better and be more active, said Danielle Broderick, spokeswoman for the heart association.
“We usually have a kids’ corner at each event,” she said. “We encourage the kids to pledge to go healthy.”
The heart association and other sponsors promote an essay contest each year among fourth graders to get them thinking about their health.
This past April, Emily Black from Sea Gate Elementary School won the contest. Her essay was about what she does to keep her heart healthy.
“We were pleasantly surprised,” Sue Black, Emily’s mother, said of her daughter winning the contest.
Emily’s essay was featured in the Heart Ball program. She met Naples Mayor Bill Barnett and she received a $100 savings bond.
She wrote about eating balanced meals, playing outdoor sports and getting a good night’s sleep.
“It’s exhausting keeping my heart healthy but it’s a job I want to do for the rest of my life,” she wrote.
She liked meeting the mayor.
“It was very amazing,” she said.
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