Get Fit, Get RightTM
As more and more teens struggle with being overweight, Starlight launched Get Fit, Get Right™ to help overweight teens make small, sustainable changes to their eating and exercise habits in order to improve their health for the long term. Starlight’s goal is to stop the teen obesity epidemic and prevent the spread of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other obesity-related conditions in young people.
Targeting youth ages 13-18, Get Fit, Get Right features a "reality show" that follows six overweight teenagers as they take on the challenge of improving their eating and exercise habits; and an online social network where teens can connect with others to share stories and experiences about stuggles and successes related to trying to live a healthier lifestyle. The community is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
At www.getfitgetright.org, teens will learn about:
- low-calorie recipe alternatives for favorite meals when eating out with friends
- exercise tips to use during the school year
- how other teens have found success and what experts recommend (through a moderated chat room, chat events, and videos)
- tracking physical activity steps with a pedometer
Get Fit, Get Right was developed in collaboration with Dr. Francine Kaufman of Children's Hospital Los Angeles and produced by MEE Productions, a social marketing and communications firm with offices in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Get Fit, Get Right content is based on Kids N Fitness, a program at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Studies done on Kids N Fitness have shown improvement in weight stabilization and reduction in Body Mass Index (or BMI) in overweight children and youth. Starlight is also designing a study with Dr. Kaufman to evaluate Get Fit, Get Right that is undergoing IRB review at Childrens.