Editorial Go FIT Program Takes Positive Steps Toward A Healthy Community
Concentric circles. That’s the picture that comes to mind for Bay Path College President Carol Leary as she talks about a unique program that has enormous potential to change — and improve — lives in the Pioneer Valley and elsewhere.
It’s called Go FIT, and it was created by a local woman, Susan Jaye-Kaplan, to provide education, direction, and inspiration when it comes to the subjects of health and fitness.
Focusing primarily on underprivileged youths, Go FIT provides six-week programs that start with an emphasis on walking and running — but go much deeper. Indeed, they are carefully crafted to not merely educate young people on such subjects as nutrition and dental hygiene, but also build confidence as well as an awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
And this where the concentric circles come in. As one person is introduced to the Go FIT message, they are touched by and motivated by it. This energy is then passed on by these individuals to others they touch, and gradually the message spreads far and wide – like a ripple on a pond.
It is this ripple effect that inspired Leary and many other community leaders to get behind Go FIT, and with good reason. Children represent the future of this country, and right now, there is what many would consider a health and nutrition crisis among young people.
Indeed, the statistics tell a sad and disturbing story; more than one-third of the children in this country are overweight, and about 15{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} of them would be considered clinically obese. Americans are heavier now than ever before, and for many the trend starts in their youth, for reasons ranging from video games to easy access to fast food. Jaye-Kaplan and others involved with Go FIT see this phenomenon every day.
Sadly, they say that about half of those children asked to walk and run for 30 minutes — in repetitions involving four minutes of walking and one minute of running — have great difficulty doing so.
And that’s why this program is so important. If people can’t handle such a simple exercise routine at this stage in their lives, what will their adult years be like?
Go FIT doesn’t change the waistlines of its participants — it can’t do that in six weeks. But it can get the ball rolling. It can prompt young people to think about what they eat and why they need to exercise. It can help such individuals change their perception about they can and can’t do with their lives.
Jaye-Kaplan told The Healthcare News that her work to create and expand Go FIT stems from a desire to give back to others who are less fortunate. Orphaned early in life, she knows what it’s like to be underprivileged.
Her life was changed through the influence of a mentor who gave her a summer job, but also guidance and direction that eventually gave her much-needed self-confidence. Today, she wants to return that favor by advancing the Go FIT mission.
We applaud her energy and hope others are inspired by it.
A number of area companies and colleges have already given their support to Go FIT. The list includes Bay Path, Springfield College,Western New England College, Big Y, Baystate Health, Health New England, Spalding, Lenox American Saw, and others. We encourage others to join the ranks.
Why? Because their help could take this exciting concept to a higher level and to a larger (national and perhaps international) stage. And as this program’s reach is extended, its impact on the larger community grows.
If we can get the current generations of Americans to become more aware of health and nutrition issues and compel them them to take control of their bodies, then the prospects for future generations are considerably brighter.
That’s the power of concentric circles.