Free Tanner Program Helps Families Get Healthier, Together
Monday, March 25, 2019
With childhood obesity rates soaring nationwide, Tanner Health System’s Get Healthy, Live Well is offering an innovative, family-centered program to help families learn to live healthier, together.
Registration is now open for Get Healthy Kids, a free, healthy lifestyle program for children ages 8 to 16 and their parents or guardians. The next series of Get Healthy Kids sessions will begin Thursday, April 11, at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Carrollton.
The program is led by Tanner’s Get Healthy, Live Well staff and trained volunteers. The program consists of six weekly, 90-minute sessions for the entire family.
The rate of childhood obesity — at epidemic levels for years — is especially pronounced in the South. In Georgia, the rate of obese children ages 10 to 17 was 18.4 percent in 2017. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, this put Georgia’s ranking at eighth in the nation for childhood obesity. The CDC also found that the number of American children with an unhealthy weight has more than tripled since the 1970s — nearly 1 in 5 school-age children in the United States is obese.
Most Get Healthy Kids sessions include a nutrition lesson, physical activity, goal setting and a support session for parents. Participants who complete the class receive a cookbook and entry into a drawing for a Fitbit. The purpose of the program is to teach children and their parents or guardians healthy habits through nutrition and physical activity.
The program provides the motivation families need to change their behaviors in a fun and safe environment. The course gives children the opportunity to learn about nutrition and develop the tools to make healthy choices as they get older. Adopting a healthier lifestyle can lead to a long, healthy life free from chronic health conditions like asthma, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, bone and joint issues and more.
Registration is required to participate in Get Healthy Kids. Spots fill fast for this unique, popular program. Parents or guardians can register by calling 770-214-CARE (2273) or online tanner.org/gethealthykids. When registering, please note the number of family members planning to attend.
Since 2012, Get Healthy, Live Well — a comprehensive community health collaborative led by Tanner Health System — has been working to provide community members in its service area the resources they need to lead healthier lifestyles. With the help of its partners and volunteers, Get Healthy, Live Well is helping make communities a healthier place to live, learn, work, play and pray. Learn more at GetHealthyLiveWell.org or email gethealthy@tanner.org.