FACT: Michigan is ranked as the 10th most obese state in the country. One third of American children are obese. Adult obesity rates increased in 16 states in the past year and did not decline in any state, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America‘s Future 2011
One thing that my husband and I are extremely sensitive about is raising our children in a health-conscious manner. While I don’t want to completely deprive my kids of occasional fast food and sweet treats, I also want to introduce them to a wide variety of healthy options and ways to exercise so they feel empowered to make healthy choices in the future.
A local blog I really enjoy reading for healthy tidbits of information is A Healthier Michigan, which is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
They currently are running a “Make the Play” for Healthy Habits video contest, where Michigan students in grades 4-8 can share their ideas to promote healthy habits by creating their own video illustrating ideas on how to make Michigan healthier and what they personally do to stay healthy. BCBSM will narrow down the entries to 10 finalists and the public will have an opportunity to choose the winter by voting for their favorite video on A Healthier Michigan.
One winner will get a school assembly featuring Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and the opportunity to be featured as a video blogger on A Healthier Michigan. Talk about a fun way to become the coolest kid in school!
The contest deadline is March 25. In April, 10 semi-finalists will be selected and notified, and their video submission will be posted on A Healthier Michigan for a two-week open voting period. The winner will be announced in early May.
Video submissions should answer: “What would you do to make Michigan healthier?” and include how to live a healthy life, starting with the student, their family and/or their classroom and include how to communicate healthy lifestyle choices with families and students. Videos should be no more than two minutes long.
Students can submit a video using any digital recording device using an MP3 format, such as a smart phone, iPad, flip video or webcam, or they can upload a video via YouTube. For more information, visit AHealthierMichigan.org/
Take a look at the contest kickoff video:
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These kids have a real challenge ahead of them…Now, what would you do to make Michigan healthier?
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