Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Linda Fondren,
April 2, 2010 Shape Up Sisters
601-619-7277

SHAPE UP SISTERS LAUNCHES U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES' HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM

Vicksburg - Shape Up Sisters announces a new program for parents and caregivers of young adolescent girls. BodyWorks, developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health, focuses on helping girls ages 7 to 17 and their families create healthier lifestyles.

A large share of adolescent girls have poor eating habits and do not get the recommended daily amount of physical activity. In developing the BodyWorks program, the Office on Women's Health (OWH) found that many girls skip breakfast, have non-nutritious lunches and don't eat dinner with their families. Girls spend about three hours a day watching television, playing video games, using the computer, and talking on the telephone, without parental limitations.

Overall, girls expressed a desire to have their parents be stronger role models for fitness. They wanted their parents to set boundaries for unhealthy eating habits and sedentary activities, and to engage the entire family in increasing physical activity.

The BodyWorks program, therefore, focuses on parents as role models and provides them with the tools and support they need to create healthy lifestyles for their children. Parents who enroll in the BodyWorks program will receive a BodyWorks toolkit and will attend regular group meetings to help maintain behavior change. The toolkit serves as a guide to creating an overall health lifestyle. It includes a video on healthy shopping and cooking strategies, a recipe book, food and fitness journals, a weekly meal planner refrigerator magnet and more.

Change takes time. It is important that we begin by taking a few small steps said Linda Fondren, Shape Up Sisters

"We believe that healthy girls become healthy women," says Jonelle Rowe, M.D., M.A., senior medical advisor for adolescent women's health at OWH. "BodyWorks teaches parents to be role models for their daughters and encourages them to establish better eating and activity habits for their families."

For more information on the BodyWorks program contact Linda Fondren 601-619-7277 linda@shapeupsisters.com