A grant from Aetna and the Aetna Foundation will help fund a new program aimed at helping children lose weight and improving the health of their families.

The Families in Training – or FIT – program will be offered to 100 underserved and uninsured children, ages 6 to 13, and their families. FIT will provide medical case management, nutritional education, counseling, physical activities and support groups. The funding will help to provide participants with weight and exercise journals, cookbooks, cooking demonstrations, special lectures, incentives, exercise opportunities and a graduation ceremony.

(l-r) Front row: Nohemi Lopez, Aetna; Dr. Meena Jhatakia, Seventh Avenue Family Health Center; Jasmin Shirley, vice president, Community Health Services; and Maxine James-Francis, director, Seventh Avenue Family Health Center.

Middle row: Amy Whitlock, grants coordinator, Broward Health; Kim Hornak, supervisor, Behavioral Health & Claudette Parks, RN, Seventh Avenue Family Health Center; Lori Kessler, manager, DSM, Broward Health.

Back row: Nickette Gourdet, case manager, DSM, Seventh Avenue Family Health Center & Gustavo Gonzalez, case manager, DSM, Broward Health.

The program is the idea of Meena Jhatakia, M.D., pediatrician, at Broward Health Seventh Avenue Family Health Center. “Teaching kids makes an educated nation,” said Dr. Jhatakia. “And teaching good health habits to them and their families makes a healthy nation.”

To encourage families to get active, Broward Health is partnering with the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Parks and Recreation Department. The grant will help pay for 22 families to take part in exercise programs and activities at Joseph C. Carter Park.