Buffalo, NY -Third grade students fromHeritage Heights Elementary School in Amherst participated in Univera Healthcare's Fun 2B Fit™ program earlier this school year. One of the three participating classes wrote detailed thank you notes commenting on the program, and in particular, on the healthy tools they received in the Fun 2B Fit parent tool kit.

· "I like the book bag because I can take it everywhere I go," said Danica Eckert. "I also like it because it is not that heavy like other book bags. It can hold a lot of things. The design of the book bag is healthy for your back and spine."

· "I use the plate all the time," said Shannon Graziano. "I use the plate to eat healthy foods, but not junk food...but I don't eat junk food that much. You help me be more healthy."

· "One thing that I really enjoy is the stopwatch," commented Praneetha Bheemarasetty. My sister and I use it as a timer for racing. It is useful for my parents too. They use it for cooking and exercise."

· "The shopping list is fantastic and me and my family use it every time we go grocery shopping," wrote Kynnedi Coleman. "I look for healthy snacks and healthy choices."

· "I have used the plate, stopwatch, magnet, grocery magnet, and activity booklet," said Rohan Ottman. "(The items) helped me make good choices and also helped me stay healthy. I have been giving myself a lot of gold stars."

The tool kit is filled with healthy items including a magnetic grocery pad for the refrigerator with pre-printed healthy items on each tear-off page, a Healthy Activity Planner with stickers and games helping students track their physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption, a custom-made portion control plate, a stopwatch/wristwatch encouraging play, and the tool kit itself is a sling-style backpack that can be reused as a gym bag, or to take on family outings. Parents of all third grade students participating receive the tool kit.

Fun 2B Fit is a school-based healthy lifestyle initiative encouraging children and their families to make healthier food choices by trying new foods, increasing their level of physical activity, shopping for healthy foods and preparing meals together.

Fun 2B Fit was created by Univera Healthcare to combat childhood obesity and is based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the New York State Learning Standards. According to the American Obesity Association, of six to 11 year olds, 30% are classified as overweight and 15% are considered obese.

Fun 2B Fit offers programs for second, third, and fourth graders. Third graders participate in a physical activity lesson where they, along with a Fun 2B Fit fitness instructor, take part in a 30-minute workout developed especially for kids that incorporates easy, fun dance moves and stretches. Second graders participate in 12 weeks of healthy taste testing where they sample different recipes each week and are encouraged to at least try all the foods. Fourth graders can participate in a shopping and food preparation field trip to a local Wegmans grocery store that introduces them to a variety of healthful foods in a fun and interactive way.

Nearly 13,000 Western New York students at 45 schools have participated in Univera Healthcare's Fun 2B Fit program. Fun 2B Fit is being offered to select schools in the Western New York area after a successful pilot program was conducted in 2005.

Fun 2B Fit has been honored with two awards for Publication Excellence (APEX Awards), two international MarCom Creative Awards, a Civic Empowerment Award from the Greater Buffalo All-America City committee, an Award of Distinction from the Video Communicator Awards, a World Wide Web Health Award, and the American Academy of Pediatrics newsletter CQ, a national publication, acclaimed Univera Healthcare for this innovative program.

Fun 2B Fit program partners include Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., Body Shaping By Sandy, the Healthy Community Alliance, and Lifetime Health Medical Group.

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