Apr 8 2010
With the childhood obesity epidemic finally at the front line, first lady Mrs. Obama has taken the initiative to do something about it, but what is she doing? The first lady Mrs. Obama started the Let's Move! Initiative and stated in a press conference "that the goal of the program is to reverse the trend toward childhood obesity in one generation." The office of the Surgeon General stated that "obese youth are more likely than youth of normal weight to become overweight or obese adults, and therefore more at risk for associated adult health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis." It's not going to get any better until parents get the help they need. Curriculums at school have changed, fast food is all around us and children stay indoors playing video games. What can we do about it?
Well there's good news! There's one company, Meltdown Station - based in Miami, that's doing something about it and noticed this problem years ago. For the past few years, Ivette Cortiella has been transforming kids and changing lives. She built a gym designed by and made just for kids - sorry, parents will have to go somewhere else to workout. Equipment was downsized, interactive and equipped with video games. With the assistance of some of the foremost doctors and nutritionists in the field of childhood obesity, she formulated FDA-approved multivitamins, protein shakes, nutrition bars and meal plans for children as young as 5. Her program isn't designed to turn a child into a body builder. It focuses on providing educational material and a place where children can strengthen themselves physically, mentally and emotionally while learning self-confidence and personal motivation. The goal is to teach and instill in children healthy lifestyle skills that can be carried on into adulthood.
She's recently reached out to such people as Jamie Oliver, star of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC, Oprah Winfrey and first lady Mrs. Obama. Mrs. Cortiella hopes that together they can make a difference. Her vision is to have after-school programs throughout the nation where parents and children can get the guided help and education they need to transform their lives - teaching them how to exercise, eat properly, how to cook healthy and how to have a healthy snack that's also fun to make.
Ms. Cortiella, along with her passion, dedication and the heart she wears on her sleeve, has transformed hundreds of kids and her program has proven results. She's been recognized by cities and governments abroad. She's won awards from Disney and the University of Miami. Her commitment to transforming children and building up their confidence is inspiring.
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