Check out our community flyer!
The Girls Fitness and Nutrition Program (FitNut) is Project HEALTH’s response to childhood obesity, one of the nation’s most pressing pediatric health challenges. A complex condition in which excess body fat poses a significant risk to a child’s physical and psychosocial well-being, obesity currently affects an estimated 1 in 4 US children.
Launched during the fall of 2002, Girls FitNut is an after-school program for families in Wards 6, 7 & 8 with middle-school aged girls at-risk for obesity. Through partnerships between health professionals at Children’s National Medical Center and undergraduate volunteers from George Washington University, FitNut will help children build healthier lifestyles by:
- promoting healthy food choices and proper nutrition
- incorporating physical fitness into daily life through safe, structured dance lessons
- developing take-home strategies for healthy living for the whole family
- building self-esteem and peer leadership skills
The goal of the Girls Fitness and Nutrition Program is to help participants improve long-term physical well-being through education and exercise. By combining the expert knowledge of health professionals with creative energy of college students, the Girls Fitness and Nutrition program presents a safe, effective, and fun way for young girls to realize the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. As a preventive health initiative, the program strengthens the link between families and doctors, which helps in monitoring the child’s health and risk of obesity-related medical conditions. Additionally, the relationships formed with families allow volunteers and physicians to address the children’s other academic and social needs.
See a video of our very first day in DC! (Requires RealPlayer)