THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AT MONTEFIORE
Photo of a teenager

The prevalence of obesity is higher in the Bronx (25 percent) than it is in New York City (21 percent), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means more local adolescents are at risk of becoming overweight or obese adults who are at risk for serious long-term health consequences.

Fortunately, overweight and obese kids in the Bronx don’t have to battle obesity alone. The Bronx Nutrition and Fitness Initiative for Teens (B’N Fit)—a unique collaboration between the Division of Adolescent Medicine at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center—is helping kids build stronger, healthier bodies.

TARGETING WEIGHT EARLY

B’N Fit is a fun, informative and active program that helps combat obesity by providing hundreds of local kids, adolescents and young adults ages 12–21, with the tools they need to develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

“Our goal is to provide kids with a comfortable environment where they can learn how to live healthier lives and interact with other kids who are facing the same issues,” says Jessica Rieder, MD, director of the B’N Fit program and assistant professor of Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

GETTING KIDS ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Kids in the B’N Fit program undergo medical, nutritional, psychosocial and home evaluations and monthly medical monitoring by physicians. They take part in an initial 12-week intensive program, which includes weekly group meetings, where they learn about healthy nutrition, how to change their behaviors and the importance of physical activity. Participants also meet four times a week for specially tailored physical activity sessions. B’N Fit offers weekly group meetings for parents, where specialists teach skills to help them reinforce healthy habits at home.

“B’N Fit is making a difference and helping kids take personal responsibility for their health,” Dr. Rieder says. “Most kids in the program are losing or maintaining their weight, eating healthier foods, being more active and watching less television. More importantly, they feel good about their accomplishments and have more selfesteem, confidence and well-being.”

Kids in the program can attend six-month maintenance programs and summer camps for ongoing support.


Keep Kids Moving

Kids should be physically active for at least an hour most days of the week. But not all activities are equally effective. Here’s a list of how many calories kids who weigh about 90 pounds burn an hour doing common activities. Keep in mind that kids will burn more or less calories depending on their actual weight.

  • Aerobic dancing: 274
  • Bicycling (outdoor): 337
  • Bowling: 127
  • Dancing: 190
  • Jogging (5 mph): 337
  • Jumping rope: 422