Health Promotion Practice

 

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This version was published on July 1, 2008
Health Promotion Practice, Vol. 9, No. 3, 305-312 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1524839906289221

Promoting Healthy Lifestyles in Children: A Pilot Program of Be a Fit Kid

Jennifer Slawta, PhD

Department of Health and Physical Education at Southern Oregon University

Jeff Bentley, MS

Klamath Tribal Health & Family Services, in Klamath Falls, Oregon

Joan Smith, MS

Clayton College of Natural Health, in Birmingham, Alabama

Jessica Kelly, MS

Benton County Health Department, in Corvallis, Oregon

Lucien Syman-Degler, BS

Eugene Downtown Athletic Club, in Eugene, Oregon

Be a Fit Kid is a 12-week program aimed at improving physical activity and nutritional habits in children. The physical activity component of the program emphasized cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, muscular strength, and bone development through running, yoga, jumping, and strength exercises. All activities were individualized and noncompetitive. The nutrition component focused on current dietary guidelines that emphasize a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, unsaturated fats, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat and sugar. Following the 12-week intervention, significant improvements were observed in body composition, fitness, nutrition knowledge, dietary habits, and in those who participated 75% of the time, significant reductions in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were observed. Findings from the pilot trial suggest that health promotion programs can be well received by children and may favorably alter overweight and the development of adult lifestyle-related diseases.

Key Words: children's health • physical activity • nutrition • childhood obesity


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