By Ryan Houston - bio | email
ALBANY, GA (WALB) – Childhood Obesity in Georgia is at an all time high. Kids who are obese are more likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes and heart attacks.
Youth Becoming Healthy helps kids here in South Georgia live healthier lives.
This six week camp is offered free of charge to kids ages 8 to 13. And The only way to get in is to be referred by your doctor.
Kyle Bridges is a fifth grader who gets bullied because of his weight. "They pick on me and push me around and call me fat," said Kyle Bridges.
Wanting to fit in lead him to join Youth Becoming Healthy (YBH). It's a program that's designed especially for kids who suffer with weight problems.
"It's gonna help me get slimmer and lose weight while helping me get the digits from the girls," said Bridges. And Kyle says he's comfortable in the program.
"I've already made a lot of friends here because we kind of relate to each other because we want the same things," said Bridges. To try to get the results the kids want. They are put on strict eating diets.
And they get to participate in dance and karate classes. "I feel good because I'm helping them get healthy and fit by teaching Tawkendo which is my sport I love to do," said 14-year-old Juwon Stanley.
Even though The Tawkendo class is one of the more popular, it's hard work! "Sweats burns hurts everything that's suppose to happen when you stretch and exercise," said Stanley.
Just exercising wasn't the only reason for the start of this Program. YBH CEO Pamela Greene knows the dangers of obesity. Her brother died because of his weight.
"I'm just driven by passion and wanting to honor my brother's memory," said Greene. Honoring her brother's memory by teaching kids about living a healthier lifestyle.
"This will help them a lot this will give them chance to change their life forever," said Bridges. For many of these kids losing weight is just the beginning of a journey we call life.
Now YBH is starting its own version of the Biggest Loser. They plan to weigh the kids daily and whoever loses the most weight wins $100. Sounds like a pretty good incentive to me.
YBH only accepts up to 25 kids during the summer. And They've also started a new scholarship program. They give money away to college students who major in health and fitness.
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