Tucson SPORT - September 2007 - (Page 42) FAMILY ZONE embrace POSITIVE MEDIA CORNER By Erin Nurss » CHILDHOOD OBESITY IS A HEALTH ISSUE AFFECTING over 60 percent of America’s children and it is evident these children need help. Thanks to one of basketball’s biggest stars, six obese Miami middle school students are getting that help. Shaq’s Big Challenge, which airs every Tuesday night on ABC at 9 pm, follows Ariel, Chris, James, Kevin, Kit and Walter, as well as Shaquille O’Neal, nutritionist Joy Bauer, and trainer Dr. Colker, as they work together to help the kids shed their extra pounds. Each episode chronicles the challenges and successes the group encounters and sheds light on some of the issues we face in improving the health of our children. For example, Shaq and Chef Tyler Florence learn that improving the nutrition status of school lunches is easier said than done. When Tyler prepares meals for the students of their school, they are short 30 meals and are way over budget. When speaking with school officials, Shaq and Dr. Colker demand that the school offer physical education every day. Much to their surprise, the principal informs them that it would require 16 additional teachers and more money than is available to meet that demand. Shaq also learns that it is not enough to simply give kids a work out plan and expect them to follow it 100 percent of the time. Children need constant motivation and encouragement if they are to stick to the challenging plans given to them by dieticians, trainers and doctors. However, he also finds success when the six students ask if they can bring a friend with them to their work outs and over 40 overweight children come to join in the exercise. They proved that the interest in working toward a healthier lifestyle is present in children; they just need a few tools and a little bit of guidance. That is exactly what Shaq and his team aim to provide! Although Shaq finds that his goal of creating a plan, implementing it and sharing it with the governor is harder than he thought it would be, we do commend him for his efforts. It’s great to see world class athletes making an effort to promote physical activity and proper nutrition. He is using his star power to prove that together we can make a difference and improve the health of our children. Not only is his show entertaining for families, but he also provides a daily newsletter and “get healthy” tips for the entire family on the ABC website. For more information visit abc.go.com/primetime/shaqsbigchallenge/index. AD HERE “Meal tiMe really can be faMily tiMe” http://abc.go.com/primetime/shaqsbigchallenge/index http://www.dreamdinners.com http://www.dreamdinners.com
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