It's not often you'll see a Brown making friends with a Bengal, especially not during football season. But that's exactly what happened recently in an effort to get kids to eat well and get active.
Bengals Safety, Chinedum Ndukwe met up with Browns Offensive Lineman Joe Thomas on neutral turf in Columbus. The men were in town for the kick off of the American Dairy Association's 'Fuel Up To Play 60.' The program is designed to tackle childhood obesity. Nearly 1 in 5 pre-teens and teenagers is overweight.*
NFL Players like these guys are encouraging children to get at least 60 minutes of exercise every day and eat the right foods, such as low fat and fat free dairy foods, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
It's a lesson Ndukwe says he learned as a kid while growing up in Dublin. 'I think it started with my parents, but especially being in the NFL you see the importance of taking care of your body and putting positive things in it, to help you play that much longer, that much faster, that much stronger on Sunday.'
Joe Thomas also credits his parents with teaching him the importance of eating right, and staying active.
Fuel Up To Play 60 will reach 36 million students in 60,000 elementary, middle and high schools during the current school year. The program launches nationwide October 15th, including in more than 3,100 Ohio schools.
Sources: * Health,
United States, 2008, U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/overwt.htm |
