Hospital Brings Physical Activity Program to Elementary Classrooms in Central Florida

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Florida Hospital for Children serves Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties (29.3% Latino) in Central Florida.  Childhood overweight and obesity rates in these counties range from 26.7% to 40.7% compared to the national average of 30.7%.  The prevalence of childhood diabetes is 1.7% in Latinos compared to 0.5% in Whites.

The Florida Hospital for Children had already been running a healthy weight and wellness clinic for children and families who were struggling with obesity, pre-diabetes and diabetes; however, they wanted to focus more on prevention in schools.  Hospital staff said they were dealing with younger and patients and they didn’t just want to be intervening, they wanted to be preventing.

The Florida Hospital for Children piloted Mission: FIT Possible program in 2012 and has continued offering the program in schools since.

Mission: FIT is an interactive physical activity program to be implemented by hospital staff in elementary schools.  Using secret agent badges and missions, the program teaches children to uncover secret clues related to healthy living based on the following four main concepts: food, move, mood and recharge.

• Food: Nutritional fitness
• Move: Physical fitness
• Mood: Emotional fitness
• Recharge: Restorative fitness

Since implementing the physical activity program for elementary students, Mission: FIT staff say they have heard about parents, teachers, coaches and principles getting inspired and they have seen healthy changes in their community’s attitudes and behavior.

Click here to learn about Mission: FIT Possible.