April 28 Event Features a Day of Fun Spent Getting Physical

April 16, 2007 :: No. 174

Attention kids: Eating nutritious food and staying active make you grow up strong and healthy.

That’s the message that organizers of the Titan Kid Healthy Challenge, an April 28 event at Cal State Fullerton promoting physical activity and good nutrition, want children to heed.

The challenge is part of a campaign to fight childhood obesity.

According to the 2006 Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County, the number of obese children in Orange County is growing. That number shot up 19 percent between 2002 and 2004 among children 4 years old and under. For 5- to 11-year-olds, the number rose 10 percent and climbed 13 percent among 12- to 19-year-olds.

Nationwide, the percentage of overweight children has nearly doubled in the past two decades from 7 to 13 percent, while the percentage of overweight adolescents has nearly tripled from 5 to 14 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Obesity is an epidemic, and the Titan Kid Healthy Challenge will bring together kids and families to experience the fun of healthy physical activity, learn how to ‘take it home’ and promote healthy eating,” said Frances Teves, the event’s co-chair and CSUF’s director of state relations and advocacy.

The free event will take place on the Cal State Fullerton athletics fields, north of Titan Gym, and inside Titan Gym.

Martial arts, dance, aerobic games and sports will be demonstrated to teach kids how to participate in fitness activities. A pledge wall, encouraging children and their families to commit to healthy living, and a parent corner, offering tips, also will be featured.

In addition, health screenings, educational materials, and fitness and nutrition information will be offered. Every participant will be given a pedometer. The first 4,000 children will receive a backpack, and parents will receive tote bags. 
                                
The event is being sponsored by Cal State Fullerton, ABC7, CalOptima, CVS, Disney, Don Francisco, Jamba Juice, HOPSports, Kaiser Permanente, the National Association for Health and Fitness, Orange County Department of Education and Steps to Healthy Living Campaign.

The event’s program:
 11 a.m. — Registration: Participating children and families will check-in. Kids will receive a pedometer and an “ActivePlay Passport.”  The “passport” will serve as an event map and guide, encouraging more physical activity and healthy eating habits at home.  
 
Noon-12:30 p.m. — Opening ceremony on the main stage: Participants will be encouraged and challenged to live a healthy lifestyle by adopting healthy nutrition and physical activity habits. State Sen. Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) will present a resolution on behalf of the Orange County delegation in the state Legislature proclaiming April 28  “Kid Healthy Day.”

12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. — Attendees can choose from a variety of physical activities to watch and do. From cardio kickboxing and rugby, to jumping rope and obstacle courses, attendees will move from one activity to another, experiencing the fun of getting and staying fit.
Demonstrations are being geared to appeal to a cross-section of children and families. One activity, HOPSports, to be played inside the Titan Gym, features an interactive video game that’s projected on the wall. Players are on their feet, hopping, stretching, and bouncing and balancing atop big rubber balls.
In addition, more than two dozen booths, sponsored by health-related organizations, will present information on healthy nutrition and promote physical activity at home. “The whole idea is to make play part of your day, learn new activities, then take them home,” said Teves.

3:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. — Closing ceremonies: Children will turn in their “ActivePlay Passport,” which will demonstrate that they participated in physical activity demonstrations. Pedometer readings also will be recorded and reported. Children will receive a backpack for their participation in the Titan Kid Healthy Challenge, along with a set of “ActivePlay” cards to continue to play at home.

For more information, visit www.titankidhealthy.com.

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