Bronx to Lace Up Its Shoes for the Annual B’N Fit Walk

By PAOLO MOSSETTI

It’s time for our kids to drop that remote and start running!

The Bronx Nutrition and Fitness Initiative for Teens (B’N Fit) has just announced the Annual Teen and Community Walk, and their website is open for registration.

The walk is a joint program sponsored by the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and Mosholu Montefiore Community Center and encourages young people to keep active by jogging in a non-competitive race.

The event will take place on Saturday, May 17, at the New York Botanical Garden, and will include a stretching session at 7:30 a.m. with New York Road Runners, free raffle prizes, refreshments and T-shirts to all participants who pre-registered. This year’s walk is being presented in conjunction with Teen Diaries’ Pretty Girls Sweat program.

Dr. Jessica Rieder, assistant clinical professor of pediatrics, is the event’s show runner. She points out the benefits for young people who exercise can be vast and deep-reaching. “Of course weight loss is the first goal of our initiative. Obesity, especially in teenagers, can predispose to heart diseases and reproductive issues,” said Rieder. “If we walk, we can prevent serious health problems. The benefits are not only physical, but also emotional. If you stay in all the time, it’s no good for your mental health,” she said.

According to Rieder, long-term benefits of walking can be as important as the short-term ones.  “The more you exercise in your daily life, the more you’ll get used to exercise. It’s like studying, and learning how to write: the more you practice, the more it will be easier for you in the future. We want to encourage changes in behavior, the same way it happens with school. So we encourage people to come with a friend or a family member, and enjoy a beautiful morning at the Botanical Garden.”

The B’N Fit program, active since 2005, has been recently expanded, thanks to a massive $150,000 grant by The AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation. While the core activity of B’N Fit is designed on medical evaluation and management for obese teens, in the last few years the program has expanded to include teaching sessions, outdoor events and summer camps.

Data from the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey revealed that 18 percent of adolescents are obese. That percentage is greater among African-Americans and Hispanics – particularly those from poor communities, such as the Bronx. In New York City, 40 percent of students are obese.

Sponsors and participants are encouraged to register on the website www.mmcc.org or write Sherice Brammer, Development Assistant, at sbrammer@mmcc.org.