Children, Teens, Students

Fit Kids of Hudson Valley is a program designed to combat childhood obesity by promoting healthy eating and regular physical activity at school. While many schools
may have some aspects of the program already in place, the goal is to coordinate these activities and create a sustainable wellness program that continues from one year to the next.

Fit Kids of Hudson Valley encompasses a multi-faceted approach. Your Health Department is available to provide your school with technical assistance working with
administration, faculty, staff and parents to identify physical activity and nutrition priorities. The first step will be to complete the Centers for Disease Control selfassessment
tool, the School Health Index. The purpose of this assessment is to assist schools in identifying areas of strength and weakness. The results of the School Health
Index will be used to develop a plan of action and establish priorities related to physical activity, nutrition and wellness.

The long-range goal of Fit Kids of Hudson Valley is to help your school develop wellness policies in order to establish program sustainability.

The federal government has recognized the responsibility of schools in combating childhood overweight and obesity by passing the Child Nutrition and WIC
Reauthorization Act of 2004. One of its provisions requires every school district that participates in the federal school meals program to form a wellness committee and enact
wellness policies as of September 2006. The trend clearly points to increased regulation in this area and even if your district does not participate in the National School Lunch
Program, you are likely to be required to develop wellness policies in the near future. As a Fit Kids participant, your district will be prepared for the requirements associated with current and future regulations.

Learn more about the Fit Kids program.