Fighting Childhood Obesity in Kansas City

BLACK HEALTH CARE COALITION HOSTS FREE RUN/WALK JUNE 2 TO INCREASE AWARENESS FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTIVE AND FIT FAMILIES

KANSAS CITY,?Mo.?? The Black Health Care Coalition (BHCC) invites Greater Kansas City area residents to participate in the upcoming?Let?s?Move?5K Run/Walk. The walk will be held in conjunction with the annual Public Health and Safety Fair presented by Missouri State Sen. Shalonn ?Kiki? Curls. The free community events aim to demonstrate the importance of exercise for better health and obesity prevention.

The?Let?s?Move?5K Run/Walk?will begin?at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 2?at Swope Health Services,?3801 Blue Parkway,?Kansas City,?Mo.

The event is part of the BHCC?s ?Fit Families? program. It is meant to motivate families, children and the community to become healthy and active. The run/walk begins at 8 a.m. and the Public Health and Safety Fair will be from 9 a.m. through 1 p.m. all at Swope Health Services.?

Featured attractions include health screenings, a visit from Ronald McDonald, free McDonald?s apple slices, more than 100 children?s bikes to be given away in a raffle, bike helmet giveaways, car seat installation, a free farmer?s market and more. The?Let?s?Move?5K Fun Run/Walk?is free and open to the public.

For the first time this year, the Beans & Greens Mobile Market will be part of the farmer?s market. Formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federally funded program which delivers monthly benefits to 35 million Americans nationwide. Participants of the?SNAP program?can purchase fresh, healthy, locally grown or produced fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products at the?Let?s?Move?event at the Beans & Greens Mobile Market. This is a local foundation committed to ensuring access to healthy foods to low income families. For every dollar spent from a SNAP card, the?SNAP program?participants will receive an additional $1 of produce (up to $25).

One?in 3 young people are overweight or obese; and a ten-year-old has a 1 in 3 chance of developing diabetes in his/her lifetime. Last year, First Lady?Michelle Obama launched her ?Let?s?Move? campaign with the commitment to help end the country?s childhood obesity epidemic. Because childhood obesity has become an epidemic in the?United States, the BHCC sponsored?Let?s?Move?5K Run/Walk?was started in?Kansas City.?

Along with other health and wellness related programs, BHCC is continuing to promote healthier lifestyles for children and families through an evidence based program: Fit Families, designed to combat unhealthy cultural norms and encourage physical fitness, nutrition and health policy in urban areas of Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri.?As childhood obesity prevention is gaining momentum nationwide, the Black Health Care Coalition (BHCC) is celebrating 26 years of making significant contributions in ensuring the health and wellness of those stricken by poverty and inadequate access to basic health care. For more information, contact?Melissa Robinson?at?(816) 444-9600, ext. 102?or?mrobinsonbhcc@yahoo.com.

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