Created: 3/20/2009 11:39:23 AM 
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Watch this story and you'll see how middle school students at Pine Forest are working to Fight the Couch!
Drama teacher, Jill Herkel, helped brainstorm with the kids. Such fun ideas! You'll see in the video.
Your school can join in this project, as well. (What kid doesn't want to smash a potato?)
The goal is to get kids up and off the couch. Experts say 1 in 3 kids on the First Coast is overweight or obese.
Pediatric diabetes specialist, Dr. Atilio Canas, at Nemours Children's Clinic in Jacksonville, says he's seeing many more children come in with Type 2 diabetes than in years past.
Once mostly an adult-only problem, Type 2 diabetes is treacherous to a child's internal organs. In fact, Dr. Canas says, the disease has the same health threat to a child as an adult having his first heart attack.
The good news is there's a fun way to tackle the issue.
FIGHT THE COUCH encourages kids to rack up "activity minutes."
What are those? They're anything which gets kids away from the video controllers and chips and up and moving.
Anything counts!
Get outside and walk the dog, play frisbee, jump rope, run around at soccer practice and ride a bike with your friends.
Turn in the activity minutes to your teacher and your class could win big prizes!
Registration is now open for any teacher on the First Coast. You must register (March 23rd-April 5th) to be in the contest, which runs from April 6th to May 22nd.
Questions? Email Jeannie Blaylock at jblaylock@firstcoastnews.com
Fight the Couch begins a multi-year effort, "Kick it Up," by First Coast News to tackle the obesity problem in our area and the nation.
©2009 First Coast News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed.
