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JBSA News
NEWS | Aug. 3, 2016

359th MDG aims to get children active at Kids in Motion event

Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

The 359th Medical Group is scheduled to host a free event, Kids in Motion, in recognition of September’s National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month Aug. 27 at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph’s Heritage Park.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 17 percent of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese.

“With teaching our kids early on to be mobile, to move, to get active, we’re teaching them the right behaviors to have an active lifestyle for the future and prevent diabetes, heart disease or any other complications that are associated with obesity,” Aracelis Gonzalez-Anderson, HPRC health promotions coordinator, said.

The objective for the event is to help educate and reinforce that activity and eating right are healthy behaviors that help prevent obesity, Gonzalez-Anderson added.

“Our focus is to help kids keep moving and fun things,” Gonzalez-Anderson said. “That doesn’t always have to be a run, a pushup or a sit-up, but utilizing things within their backyard that can make it fun, exciting and challenging for them to want to be outside.”

The event will feature an obstacle course where kids will be encouraged to race against themselves.

“It’s not just another run; it’s not just another program for kids to be in a bouncy house,” Gonzalez-Anderson said. “They’ll be encouraged to go through the obstacle course once, get a time, and go through the obstacle course twice to beat their own time.”

Tech. Sgt. Justin Lee, 359th Aerospace Medicine Squadron NCO in charge of Readiness for Bioenvironmental and co-chair for Kids in Motion, said now that he is a father, getting kids active and “not turning into couch potatoes” is important to him.

“I feel it’s on the parents to make sure it [obesity] doesn’t happen,” Lee said. “I want the kids to be out and be active, but for me, I also want the parents to know how vital of a part they play in making sure that happens.”

The design of the course is still under construction, but Gonzalez-Anderson said it will include things that are easy while still being kid-friendly and safe, such as low crawls, balancing beam, hopping through tires or jumping hurdles.

The event will also include information tables and offer healthy snacks, such as bananas covered in yogurt, from the National Restaurant Association’s Kids LiveWell program. 

Units and squadrons are encouraged to sponsor Kids in Motion by coming up with ideas for obstacles or providing equipment for obstacles. The deadline for submission of obstacle ideas is Aug. 12.

Kids in Motion is slated to begin at 8 a.m. Aug. 27 with registration starting at 7 a.m. People wishing to register ahead of time may do so online, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kids-in-motion-obstacle-cours-tickets-26485085604.

The obstacle course is open to all Department of Defense ID cardholders and their dependents. For more information or questions on becoming a sponsor, call 652-3641.