Fuel for Thought
April 12th, 2010 by flanewsStudents are tossing a football in class and tasting exotic fruit in the cafeteria at Bay Point Middle School in St. Petersburg this year.
And thousands of schools across the country are running similar programs. The schools are part of a pilot program called “Fuel up to play 60” which is sponsored by the NFL and Florida’s Dairy Farmers. The program encourages students to eat healthy foods so they have the energy to play for 60 minutes or more each day. Rashean Mathis, a cornerback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, knows that active play can help kids lead a healthy lifestyle.
“You need to go out and you need to be active, and it helps. I loved coming home before the streetlights came on so tired that all I could do was eat and go to sleep. It was a great feeling that you were able to go out and play with your friends. I think that’s a lost art,” said Marthis.
One third of children in America are overweight or obese. The fuel up to play 60 program has already reached more than a million students in schools across the country.
Posted in Children, Health, State News | No Comments »