Naperville event targets healthy start to school

Thu August 12, 2010

DUPAGE COUNTY--A community-wide obesity prevention initiative is being launched with an event targeting a healthy start to the school year at Whole Foods Market in Naperville on Saturday, Aug. 21, by FORWARD's (Fighting Obesity, Reaching healthy Weight Among Residents of DuPage) Southwest Regional Office.

This Southwest Regional event is led by the Heritage YMCA Group, in partnership with Whole Foods Market of Naperville and several FORWARD Coalition members including Edward Hospital, the Naperville Park District, the DuPage County Forest Preserve District and the DuPage County Health Department.

FORWARD is an inclusive public and private partnership directed and primarily funded by the DuPage County Health Department. FORWARD partners include health care providers, education, government, social service organizations and private businesses. DuPage County has five FORWARD regions all coordinated by Central Programming, which includes an Advisory Board, County-wide Coalition, Leadership and Staff, Data Collection and Evaluation, and Marketing and Promotion.

There are five DuPage County YMCAs leading the FORWARD regions and this is the first regional launch.

 "Our goal is to reverse the trend of obesity in DuPage County and make it the healthiest county in the United States," said FORWARD director Ann Marchetti.  "Obesity is a serious public health threat.  The prevalence of obesity in the county mirrors the national trend, one of every three children are overweight or obese in DuPage."

As children and their families all across DuPage County are preparing to go back to school,  the event, "Fast Forward to Fit Families," from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 21 at Whole Foods Market, 2607 W. 75th St., Naperville is the perfect way to prepare for a healthy start to the school year.  

The Fast Forward to Fit Families event "menu for the day" includes activities such as the WTTW Fun Food Van with Ms. Lori from 10 a.m. to noon; other full activities from noon to 3 p.m. including fitness inflatables; healthy cooking demonstrations; Go, Slow, and Whoa Food sampling; "Ask a Dietician;" a family fitness walk; giveaways and more. All brought to the community completely FREE by the generous collaboration of FORWARD partners.

The Heritage YMCA is leading the FORWARD Southwest Region and Coalition. The "Y" is a powerful association of men, women and children of all ages and all walks of life joined together by a shared passion: to strengthen the foundations of community.  With the commitment to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living, fostering a sense of social responsibility, the "Y" ensures that every individual has access to the essentials needed to learn, grow and thrive.  Anchored in more than 10,000 neighborhoods around the country, the "Y" has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change.

"Whole Foods Market in Naperville is excited to be a partner and advocate with the FORWARD Initiative. We strongly believe it will take a community to reverse the obesity trend and that is why we have partnered with the FORWARD Southwest Region to promote the health of our stakeholders through healthy eating education and active living," said Deb Kwiatt, Marketing Director for Whole Foods Market in Naperville. "Whole Foods Market has been providing resources for many years and we are glad to have so many DuPage County partners in this effort," she added.

For more event details visit www.heritageymca.org, stop by Whole Foods Market in Naperville or call (630) 579-7700.