Nationally recognized nutritionist and author Dr. Rovenia Brock, aka, “Dr. Ro” recently teamed with the University of the District of Columbia’s Center for Nutrition, Diet and Health (CNDH) July 22 to promote Fit Kidz™, a new inventive program designed to help kids understand how to live a healthy and active lifestyle using fitness and food.
The purpose of the series is to help kids understand the importance of nutrition and fitness by showing them a plethora of fun activities and introducing them to a new approach to life.
“From 2007 to 2008, obesity rates among children between the 14-19-year-old range doubled,” said Dr. Ro to My Fox Channel 5. “If we don’t do something now, we’re talking about an entire generation that will have to deal with early death.”
More than 300 kids showed up to watch a screening of Fit Kidz as well as a panel discussion on Thursday on UDC’s campus.
Dr. Lillie Monroe-Lord, head of UDC’s Center on Nutrition Diet and Health, directs the center’s efforts to provide local residents with the skills, knowledge, and behaviors necessary for a healthy lifestyle. She praised Fit Kidz for raising the issue of nutritional value. “We are excited to preview Fit Kidz, which brings home the importance of nutrition in a fun and creative way that kids and families will enjoy,” said Monroe-Lord in a statement.
Fit Kidz is a series of episodes, currently only available on DVD, targeted to 8-10-year-olds and 2-5-year-olds. The screening of the first season of Fit Kidz featured “Captain Ro” (played by Dr. Ro) and her team of Intergalactic Space Agents as they travel to Earth looking for Fit Kidz who can help them save the unhealthy children on Planet Obesia.
In front of the camera Dr. Ro may be portraying a make-believe character, but off the screen she is none the less motivated to get children to realize the power they have to take charge of their own health.
“I’m on a mission to stop obesity in its tracks with children,” said Ro to My Fox Channel 5. “We hope to get it into every school in America … and because of the CDNH, at the University of D.C., they helped us make it possible to get Fit Kidz on the air and to make it a DVD series.”