Kids link healthy food and fitness

Twelve-year-old Jessy Postlewait wants to get in better shape for baseball.. He's hoping a unique 6-week summer camp will help him use healthy foods and exercise to meet his goal.

Jessy will be a 7th grader at Hancock Middle School in the fall. He's one of 17 kids who are attending a Fit 'n Fun day camp sponsored by BJC Health Systems and the YMCA.

He has an overall goal of losing 30 to 40 pounds. He thinks losing some weight and getting more fit will help him recover from a knee injury.

Jessy Postlewait

He had been a catcher. But, he said, "After the injury, I couldn't catch any more and have had to play first base."

Fourteen-year-old Cody Brown has a more general objective for attending the Fit 'n Fun camp. One object is to learn how to substitute "healthy snacks for junk food," he said. Cody also added, "And, if I exercise more and play more games, I'll have a happier life."

Lori Hartnell is the BJC coordinator for the Fit 'n Fun camp. She said there are at least three goals for the camp.

One, she wants kids to learn to have fun while getting in better shape. Two, she wants them to learn the role of fruits and vegetables in a healthy diet.

Lori said a final goal is to give kids a taste of community service so they can help beautify their Lemay neighborhood.

The kids' work in the Lemay Family and Child Center's garden helps with two goals.

Cody Brown

Once a week, the Fit 'n Fun kids walk to the nearby Lemay Center to help weed and fertilize the center's garden. This year, the garden is fairly small. But, the staff there has a grant which will help expand it next year into a beautiful community garden.

Eric Paulsen is the lead teacher of the school-age kids at the Lemay Center.

One Tuesday last month, Paulsen had both his Center kids and those from Fit 'n Fun on their hands and knees weeding the garden. After the weeding, the kids put a cupful of liquid fertilizer on each of the garden's pepper and tomato plants.

"We need to give those plants a little boost so they'll can yield better," he said.

The kids have a stake in harvesting more from the garden.

For instance, the Lemay kids already have harvested zucchini and then made zucchini bread for one of their healthy snacks.

Paulsen said, "Later, we'll have sliced tomatoes and cucumbers for sandwiches."

Daniel McLafferty

Fourteen-year-old Daniel McLafferty has been coming to the Fit 'n Fun camp for three years. He said one of the new fitness exercises that has been added this year is stretching.

All kids do early morning stretches before the camp activities start.

Another aspect of the health lifestyles during the camp is that no sodas are offered as drinks. Counselor Hartnell said the kids are encouraged to drive juice.

"And we have them fill their water bottles twice a day to keep them hydrated," she said.

McLafferty said some of the lessons about food may help him when it's his turn to cook at home. He said his mother, his two sisters and he take turns cooking for the family.

"My older sister, Willie, is a vegetarian so she cooks vegetarian meals," he said. Daniel said he likes her no-meat-or-dairy-product meals.

As for his own cooking, he said, "I usually make the easiest things I can." But, he said he makes sure the meals include vegetables and fruits.

The Fit 'n Fun camp also has a nutrition segment, including some cooking.

Jessy Postlewait said one of the early projects involved blending bananas and yogurt and eating the mixture with other types of fruit. He said the snack was good.

His attendance at the camp is only a part of his overall fitness and weight-loss program.

"I've cut down on food and I drink much more water to keep hydrated. Also, I do tons of activities and I've joined Gold's Gym for more exercise," he said.

The kids also have field trips and swimming opportunities.

Many field trips mix fun with physical activity. The trips have included Busch Wildlife area in St. Charles County and the Alpine Tower climb at Greensfelder Park in west St. Louis County. They also took in Mighty Mud Mania at nearby Jefferson Barracks City Park.