By Chris Levister

It's no secret childhood obesity is an epidemic. Researchers are only gradually becoming aware of the gravity of the risk that overweight and obesity pose for children's health. Obesity-related health conditions, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, skeletal, psychosocial and chronic respiratory and digestive disorders once thought applicable only to adults are now commonplace in children and with increasing frequency. 

Children can't change their exercise and eating habits by themselves. They need help and support from their families. At Hyatt Elementary School in Riverside kids are getting help from college athletes.

"Run run...come on hustle, kick, jump, push." That's Valencia Augustine, a member of the UC Riverside Track and Field Team leading fourth graders in a game of dodge ball as part of the ‘Get 60' program.

Valencia Augustine, a member of the UC Riverside Track and Field Team demonstrates a game for fourth grade students at Riverside Hyatt Elementary School as part of the “Get 60” program.

"We're promoting what's going to keep these kids healthy," said Sarah Mohammadi, a member of the UC Riverside women's soccer team. "Hopefully they enjoy these activities enough that they want to go home and do this."

Although young athletes lead the program, "we want the focus to be not just on athletes," said Doug Everhart, Health Educator and CHAMPS/Life Skills Coordinator at UC Riverside. "Activity can come in many ways, like riding a bike or walking the dog."

Hyatt Categorical Program Specialist Bea Camarillo says for years when the school's fifth and seventh graders were administered the mandated fitness tests, many of them failed.

"It was difficult to watch them struggle," she says, so when UC Riverside offered to enlist the school in a pilot program aimed at preventing childhood obesity, and changing kids exercising and eating habits they jumped at it.

Under the ‘Get 60' program 200 third through sixth graders focus on gradually increasing their activity levels over a six week period. "They start with 10 minutes a day, then move up slowly until they are active for 60 minutes every day."

She says students log their activity on a chart and turn the results in periodically. The goal is to get an hour of exercise every day, the recommended amount of exercise for young people.

We've seen measurable fitness improvement in our students. "Kids who once found it difficult to push themselves are suddenly competitors. They are learning new games and fitness strategies. Exercise is no longer something they hate to do," said Camarillo.

She says the participants compete for a weekly award. Class winners are selected based upon most minutes logged and the best personal improvement.

The award students most strive for is the lofty title of "principal" for half a day. That winner gets to shadow the principal and have lunch with him.   

Principal Raul Ayala says the program has helped students develop and sustain lifelong healthy lifestyles and more. "UCR student athletes also serve as role models to students and are a constant reminder that college is assessable to them, too." There's only one drawback, the program only lasts six weeks, Ayala said. "We're committed to the long term. We can see the physical and emotional benefits," he said.

Everhart said UCR is working on securing community funding to expand the program to other school sites in the future. The university is one of 23 colleges nationwide to participate in the ‘Get 60' program.