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Family Fitness: The True Recipe to Fighting Childhood Obesity

As the entire nation scrambles to reduce childhood obesity, El Buen Samaritano works to combat it among low-income families in Austin.

Across the nation, lawmakers are battling to reduce childhood obesity by expanding the access to free nutritious meals in public schools, First Lady Michelle Obama is implementing Let's Move and major cities are talking about regulating the real estate of fast-food restaurants. Meanwhile, in Austin, Texas, El Buen Samaritano works to combat childhood obesity among low-income families.

Launching this month, El Buen's Family Health and Fitness Program encourages children and their families to get healthy through fun and recreational family activities that focus on health education and exercise during a period of eight weeks.

"After much positive feedback from our pilot program SummerFun with Born to Run in 2008, we resolved to extend the program to the entire family," said Lil Almonte, director of outreach. "We've proven time and time over that getting the entire family involved in life-changing activities is the most effective way to causing positive results."

According to Philip Huang, Medical Director for the Austin Travis County Health and Human Services Department, successful comprehensive health programs target parents as well as children, since parents are responsible for shaping the home health environment.

"With the help of qualified physical-education instructors from the RunTex Carroza Foundation, a nutritionist and health experts, 15 entire families are engaging in physical-conditioning activities and learning how to make healthy meals and snacks during this pilot session, which is set to culminate in May, after which a summer session will kick off." Lil said.

With the health of its clients in mind, El Buen hopes to enhance this program and increase its impact by providing 12 months of consecutive nine-week sessions to help 450 children and their families become healthier through a program called En Forma y En Familia (in shape, among family).

And through a collaboration with the KidShape Foundation and Dr. Stephen Pont, medical director at Austin Independent School District's Student Health Services and key collaborator at the Texas Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Obesity, El Buen plans to add a mental health component to the program.

El Buen's Family Health and Fitness Program is part of El Buen's initiative to Combat Childhood Obesity through Nutrition and Exercise and is exclusively funded by the St. David's Foundation. For information on how to get involved or support El Buen's efforts to combat childhood obesity in Austin, contact Lil Almonte. To view pictures of the program, click here.