Program Description

Program Locations
and Contacts

Program Impacts/
Success Stories

Program Video
Windows Media (.wmv)
Quicktime (.mov)

Program Contributors & Acknowledgments

Schedule & Dates of Future Professional Trainings

The Family Fitness Program

The Family Fitness Program is a nine-lesson after school program for all children ages 8-12, especially those who are at risk for becoming overweight or who are overweight. Children attend the program for 1.5 hour lessons to learn about making healthy food choices and ways to increase physical activity. Parents attend five separate meetings (three with their child) to receive information, skills, and motivational guidance leading to improved food choices, physical activity, and family support. Programs have been successfully conducted over a nine-week time period (children meeting weekly; parents meeting biweekly) and a five-week time period (children meeting twice weekly; parents meeting weekly).

Family Fitness, which is based on Stages of Change Learning Theory and motivational interviewing techniques, provides parents, adult caregivers, and children with the information, skills, and motivational guidance necessary to achieve diet quality and a healthy level of physical activity.

Program Goals
This research-based program teaches participants how to:

• increase fruit, vegetable, whole grain, and low-fat dairy consumption
• foster positive communication and collaboration on planning and preparing healthy meals and snacks
• increase minutes of physical activity
• increase goal setting and tracking of healthy diet and physical activity
• help students maintain body mass index (BMI) six months post-program for overweight youth or youth at risk for overweight (longer-term goal)

Program Impacts and Success Stories
Read about some of the recent Family Fitness Program impacts and success stories.

The Family Fitness Program has been honored with the following awards:

• 2009 Program of Excellence Award, American Dietetic Association Nutrition Education for the Public Dietetic Practice Group
• 2008 National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) National Educational Curriculum Award
• 2008 National 4-H Program of Distinction Award
• 2008 Society of Nutrition Education Public Health Division Program Award
• 2008 The Pennsylvania Rural Health Association Program of the Year Award

The Family Fitness Program is also the 2007 recipient of the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) Marketing Award as well as the 2006 recipient of the NEAFCS Research Award for research that led to the development of this program.

Questions or comments regarding the Family Fitness Program should be directed to:

Lynn James, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., Extension Educator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Northumberland County
443 Plum Creek Road,
Sunbury, PA 17801

Phone: 570-988-3950
Fax: 570-988-3953
E-mail: Ljames@psu.edu

To order curriculum materials...

Complete Order Form and mail or fax to:

Publications Distribution Center
The Pennsylvania State University
112 Agricultural Administration Building
University Park, PA 16802-2602

Phone: 814-865-6713
Fax: 814-863-5560
E-mail: AgPubsDist@psu.edu