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Teens Take Charge of their Health
Area Teens Take advantage of Free Summer Exercise Program
St. Petersburg, FL (August 2010) – The number of obese and overweight adolescents continues to grow at rapid speeds. An estimated 14% of teens in the United States are overweight and this number has tripled in the last 20 years.* This summer Lifestyle Family Fitness opened its club doors to teens ages 12-17 for free for two months to help combat this growing epidemic. As the initiative comes to a close the numbers are proof that area families are taking control of the health of their family by enrolling their teens in the free fitness program.
“The growth of this program represents the devotedness of local families to make conscious health decisions,” states Geoff Dyer, Lifestyle Family Fitness Founder, who once battled childhood obesity tipping the scales at 248 pounds at age 17.
The 2010 Free Teen Program kicked off May 15 with help from many community influencers. At the close of the program on August 15, nearly 11,600 teens enjoyed the benefits of the program in our areas of Florida, N. Carolina, Indiana and Ohio. Lifestyle Family Fitness donated around $1,832,800 in memberships.
“Since team sports tend to cease for the summer, we are aware that teens may not have as many opportunities to keep up with their fitness routine,” states Dyer. “As a health club, we have the opportunity to tackle that issue by giving area teens usage of our facilities for free.”
Among the many benefits of physical activity are higher levels of self-confidence and lower stress and anxiety levels. Studies show S.A.T. scores are higher in teens involved in regular physical activity. In fact, because weight problems lead to other medical issues, overweight teens have higher school absentee rates, affecting academic performance.
In addition to the Teen Program, a Teen Essay Contest has begun, where participating teens have the chance to win a free one-year membership to any Lifestyle Family Fitness by describing how the Free Teen Program contributed to their best summer by helping them achieve their fitness goals. Essay submissions should be emailed to teenessay@lff.com by October 1.
Log on to www.LFF.com, become a Lifestyle Family Fitness Facebook Fan or Follow us on Twitter for more information on Lifestyle Family Fitness and to find a club near you.
About Lifestyle Family Fitness
Lifestyle Family Fitness was founded in Lakeland, Florida in 1982 and currently owns and operates 55 locations in Florida, North Carolina, Columbus and Indiana. The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) ranked Lifestyle Family Fitness as one of the top 10 fastest growing fitness companies in the world.
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