National Cos. Partner to Bring Healthy Lifestyle to Students

September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month across the United States, and Wednesday, Subway, UnitedHealthcare, and the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi came together to announce plans to bring a health and wellness program for 6,000 elementary school students across the state.

Judi Groce is the coach and physical education teacher at 28th Street Elementary School in Gulfport. Mississippi has one of the highest obesity percentages in the country, and Coach Groce feels kids may be picking up bad habits. Groce says, "The sedentary lifestyle that they have when they get home, that and the fact that it’s not safe for them to go outside and play like it was when I was a kid."

Safety will always be a top concern for parents, so Subway, UnitedHealthcare, and the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi have teamed up to bring the Just Have a Ball program to some Mississippi schools to encourage safe play and higher grades. Sandra Shelson, Executive Director of the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, says, "One of the things that we know for sure is that increased physical fitness also means increased academic performance."

28th Street Elementary is one of the schools that received balls with last year’s program, but have educators noticed any positive effects? Groce also says, "The kids love it! They love them coming and giving them the balls. As you can see, they are having a great time today playing with them, having fun."

Almost a year later, the kids at 28th Street Elementary are still having a ball, but why give out the balls? Jocelyn Carter, President of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Mississippi, says, "Mississippi ranks at the bottom of every good list or at top of every worst list, and childhood obesity is an issue that we are all trying to tackle in this state, and this is just our way of partnering with Subway and with the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi to help tackle childhood obesity."

Coach Groce will continue to fight obesity by keeping her kids active and hopes this partnership keeps up the good work. Groce closes, "Because there’s a lot more than just shooting basketballs and that type of thing with it. It’s just been an awesome addition for them."

Hopefully Mississippi’s kids will continue to have a ball. The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi also provides awareness about the impact of tobacco on Mississippi.