Helping kids get healthy
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Here at Quixtar we offer quite a few products focused on health and healthy eating including Nutrilite Kids products, Seismic juices and snacks, and Simply Nutrilite food bars and Smart Menu products. Encouraging our kids to adopt a healthy lifestyle, eating right and exercising, is really important in the fight against childhood obesity.
I completely understand how difficult it is to be a fat kid. I've struggled with weight my whole entire life and continue the process today. Working here has sure helped me gain a better understanding of what I need to do. Alticor is very supportive of employee efforts to better our health and there are many rewards we can receive as a result.
But, what do kids and families who are facing this challenge do when they don't have needed resources? We all know that dealing with obesity has negative impact both physically and emotionally. Self-esteem is often damaged in our skinny-centric culture.
This is where a group like Louie's Kids comes in to play. Based outside of Charleston, South Carolina, Louie's Kids is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that raises funds to identify and invest in highest-impact interventions (including activity-based memberships, sports & physical conditioning opportunities, camp experiences, nutritional restructuring and behavioral counseling, plus so many others) for underserved and low-income families with overweight and obese children.
Louie's Kids gets kids the help they need to overcome obesity. I had the pleasure of communicating with founder Louis Yuhasz about why he is so committed to this cause.
"I started Louie’s Kids in memory of my dad, “Big Louie”. He died after suffering from obesity his entire life. I saw up close how dangerous this problem is," says Yuhasz. "Louie’s Kids was designed to help keep kids from going down the same road my dad traveled. I had no idea where this nation of children were headed when I was figuring on helping a couple of kids a year from my hometown. As one recent report states, over the next 20 years, the percentage of obese individuals will increase dramatically, and 34% of the population is now considered obese."
Louie's Kids helps children around the country. You can read some of their stories here. Like all non-profit organizations, it takes money to support the mission, Louie's Kids welcomes your help.