Obesity is an epidemic that has become one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century. It is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide with increasing prevalence in adults and children.
The number of overweight children ages 6 – 11 in the United States doubled over the past 20 years; for youth ages 12 – 19 it has more than tripled. In Los Angeles county, 1 in 5 children in the 5th – and 9th grades are obese.
The populations most affected by this epidemic within the U.S. are African American and Latino youth in low income communities. Not only does obesity increase the rates of childhood diseases such as asthma, type 2 diabetes and hypertension, it also has a negative effect on self esteem and cognitive ability.
The LA for LIfe Project targets African American and Latino communities. The goal of the project is to increase health awareness and create healthy lifestyle changes thus decreasing the rate of obesity within these populations.
For Life classes are taught within schools and are formulated according to region, age and needs. Classes range from yoga to cooking. One of the most popular classes is Cooking for Life; cooking is the interactive tool utilized to teach nutrition and to enhance health awareness. Through the Adopt a Family Program, high risk families are selected to work one on one with our Health and Wellness Coach and Personal Trainer to create healthy lifestyle changes.
forlifeinc.org 