Funding allows participants to receive additional tools to promote healthy eating and active lifestyle
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - A new session of BodyWorks, a program for parents and caregivers of young adolescent boys and girls aged 9 to 14, starts March 27. The 8-week program focuses on helping families create healthier lifestyles.
The BodyWorks Program emphasizes parents as role models and provides them with the tools and support they need to create healthy lifestyles with their children. It is being offered locally as a collaborative effort of West Virginia University Hospitals-East, the Berkeley County Health Department, WVU Extension and Shenandoah Community Health.
Families who enroll in the BodyWorks Program will receive a BodyWorks toolkit and will attend regular group meetings to help maintain behavior change. The toolkit includes a video on healthy shopping and cooking strategies, a recipe book, food and fitness journals, a weekly meal planner refrigerator magnet and more.
“Grant funding that we received for this program also allows us to provide incentives that families can earn to support their healthy behaviors such as a healthy eating toolkit and food and gas vouchers,” said Dana DeJarnett, health promotion specialist with The Wellness Center at City Hospital. The program brings together families and community partners to promote maximum health benefits for all participants.
“The BodyWorks program is designed to provide families with tools they can begin using immediately, such as learning how to understand the information on a nutrition label, estimating proper portions to avoid ‘portion distortion,’ and how to have a healthy body image, eat well, and stay active for life,” said Denise Ryan, health promotion specialist for the Berkeley County Health Department. “BodyWorks is a great program that is really fun and motivating for the entire family,” Ryan added.
BodyWorks will be offered on Tuesdays beginning March 27 from 6:15-8pm at Destiny Baptist Church, 115 N. Raleigh Street in Martinsburg. Families will also be required to attend a follow up session eight weeks after completion of the program. There is no fee for the program, but registration is limited.
For more information or to register, please contact Dana DeJarnett at 304-264-1287, ext. 1814 ddejarnett@cityhospital.org or Denise Ryan at 304-267-7130 denise.m.ryan@wv.gov.
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