[From CNN Health]
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) — One of the best gifts you can give a child this holiday season may not be the latest gadget, toy, or tasty treat, but instead the gift of a healthy lifestyle.
An Atlanta-based non-profit organization is doing its part to combat childhood obesity by teaching kids proper nutrition and exercise in a six-week fitness boot camp similar to NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.”
The FitWit Foundation hopes its program will catch on nationwide.
“We wanted to work with teens in a meaningful way, and we saw firsthand how fitness and physical activity in general is being neglected in this population. With a lot of help from volunteers and donors, we’ve started a program this past spring that encourages hard work and is a fun way to get in shape,” said FitWit instructor Ben Thoele.
FitWit’s program is a six-week after-school boot camp competition which rewards participants with prizes for meeting fitness goals. An iPod Nano was the grand prize for Atlanta Public Schools students completing a recent fitness session.
Students who are motivated to get in shape but not involved in an organized sports team are selected as contestants. Participants’ fitness levels are assessed at the beginning and end of the program.
Would you send your kid to fitness camp if his/her weight got out of control? To read the rest of the article, click here.
