TV doing its part to boot kids off the couch!
By Kate Holloway, USA TODAY

New attempts to battle childhood obesity are once again coming from an institution many cite as a major cause: television.

Kid Fitness, a new series based on an exercise video of the same title made by fitness trainer Paul Neville in 2003 and aimed at kids ages 2-8, is under distribution by American Public Television and has been picked up by several local PBS affiliates.

WYBE Philadelphia already airs Kid Fitness, and WKNO of Memphis launched the show Sunday. The show will be picked up Friday on KRSC of Tulsa and this Sunday on WUSI of Terre Haute, Ind., and WSIU of Paducah, Ky., Harrisburg, Ky. and Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Though the title Kid Fitnesssuggests a more overt push for kids to get up and move around, Neville says it's not presented that way.

"You have to mask the purpose of what you're doing," Neville says. "You don't want to have a kid build a complex."

The show features interactive and educational story lines through the adventures of superhero Kid Fitness, played by certified personal trainer and fitness model Jarred Sper. Sper is accompanied by Brenda Butterfly, the Club Fit kids and a whole cast of physically active humans in animal costumes.

Neville set out to make Kid Fitness after his first child was born, when he began paying closer attention to childhood weight problems. About 31% of children in the USA are overweight or at risk of becoming so, according to the latest government data.

Neville blames, largely, TV and the Internet.

"The calories haven't changed that much as far as what the kids eat," Neville says. "It's what they burn off that's made the biggest difference."

Nicolas Stettler, pediatrician in the Philadelphia Children's Hospital's Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, agrees about the problems of TV and the Internet. But he also attributes children's weight problems to unhealthful snacks sold in schools — and to commercials that can encourage unhealthful snacks, beverages or habits.

A Government Accountability Office report released in September said that nine of 10 schools vend junk food through machines, stores and cafeteria snack lines.

Stettler likes the messages that Kid Fitness promotes but says children are most likely to lose weight doing anything other than watching TV, whether it is crafts, reading or playing.

"In general it's probably a good idea to integrate physical activity and healthy eating education" into the media, Stettler says. "Even better ... is to turn off the TV and have other activities."

==========================================================
KidFitnessTV is a winner of the Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Award for their excellent programming for kids and family. See www.KidFitnessTV.com for more info and listen to the ready to play audio for free.