HARRIMAN — Michelle Obama has made it one of the issues she advocates for as First Lady.
New York City Michael Bloomberg advocates for it as well, looking to limit the size of sugary beverages in the city to no more than 16 ounces.
Obesity, including childhood obesity, is a state and national epidemic.
Gold’s Gym Monroe Woodbury in Harriman is also looking to make a difference. The gym, located on Route 17M in Harriman, is now registering young people - ages 18 months to 13 years - for its Kids Fitness recreation program.
“Our main goal is to educate, inspire, and empower our students,” said Jessica Tocci, the Kids Fitness director. “We achieve this by turning our kids on to exercise, proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits while having more fun with their friends then they could imagine.”
As Tocci acknowledged, this is not a diet or simply play time. It’s a nine-month program that combines a variety of physical approaches from yoga to dance, tumbling and other high-cardio activities in a setting that’s fun and safe for the children.
Tocci also recognized the competition for a child’s attention such activities have with iPhones, computers and the other devices of social media and online gaming.
Physical activity, especially in a group setting, she said, helps make kids more social as they gain confidence in their abilities. “It makes them feel okay with themselves and by themselves - and with their peers,” she added.
All the instructors in the Kids Fitness program are certified and/or have professional degrees. Tocci said she and her colleagues were buoyed by the success of a similar program run this summer at the recently revamped Gold’s Gym facility.
This coming Saturday, Sept. 8, some of the children will be performing at the Monroe Cheese Festival, demonstrating a variety of skills, including dance.
Tocci also said these children “have decided to join the rest of us at Gold’s Gym in supporting the annual American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on Oct. 21 at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley.
Essential information
Gold’s Gym Monroe Woodbury, 54 Route 17M, Harriman
Telephone: 845-782-GOLD
Online: www.goldsgym.com/monroewoodburyny
By the numbers
Here are some numbers to chew on from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on obesity:
17 percent of all New York Children aged 2 to 5 are overweight.
14.5 percent are obese.
15.6 percent of New York adolescents are overweight.
11 percent are obsese.
60.1 percent of all New York adults are overweight.
23.9 percent are obese.
Definitions
A person with a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight.
An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.
What’s your BMI?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an online calculator to check a person’s body mass index at:
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calculator.aspx