Children teaching children: Commander’s daughter raises obesity awareness

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jason McCasland
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  More and more people are learning about well-being through physical activity, from late night infomercials to calorie counting stickers on grocery items. One military child takes the lead to combat childhood obesity.

Leah Fortunato, daughter of Col. Paul Fortunato 2nd Medical Group commander, recently worked with the Health and Wellness Center on Barksdale Air Force Base, La., to teach other military children the importance of being physically fit, at the Barksdale Youth Center.

"Working with the HAWC I learned about the different aspects of health and fitness from Leah Beckham and Amanda Bowman during their Better Body Better Life classes," said Fortunato. "What I learned in their class I was able to bring to kids at the Youth center and teach them about the importance of healthy eating and exercise."

Fortunato knows that childhood obesity is a growing trend and that raising awareness is the key to making healthy decisions. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website www.cdc.gov, child obesity in the U.S. has tripled since 1980 and approximately 17 percent or 12.5 million children 2 - 19 years old are obese.

"Preventing childhood obesity is something that I feel everyone should be concerned about," said Fortunato. "I hope that what I taught the kids at the Youth Center makes even a slight impact with the kids. Ultimately, I hope that I can encourage other kids to become healthy."

Fortunato, who is also certified in primary group fitness instructing through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, hopes to continue her teaching in the future and raise others awareness of childhood obesity.

"With my certification I will be able to get a job during college that I will enjoy and help other kids and people more aware of their health," she said. "We are only given one body, so we might as well take care of it. I believe that if people are healthy that people will be able to perform to the best of their ability, and will ultimately be happier."