Redskins' quaterback Donovan McNabb will fight Childhood Obesity
Staff Writer
2010-08-17
.dmvblogspot.bloggieblog.com .
The Redskins will have their hands full this season adjusting to a new coach, quarterback and playbook. With all these battles, Donovan McNabb will add fighting children obesity to his plate.
The Washington Redskins and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced today they are teaming up with Redskins quarterback and health advocate Donovan McNabb to help tackle the nation's childhood obesity epidemic. As the newly appointed 2010 Redskins Health Ambassador, McNabb will work side by side with Washington, D.C. youth to demonstrate fun and easy ways to make exercise part of their daily lives.
We can beat this! I'm so excited to teach kids and their parents how exercising for 60 minutes a day will keep them healthy and help prevent chronic diseases. Football has always motivated me to stay active, fit and healthy, and I want to motivate kids to find an activity that will help them do the same," said McNabb. "Seeing the effect chronic disease has had on my father's life has pushed me to help kids take up healthy habits and provide them with the right tools for a healthier future. Like I tell my father – together, we can beat this."
To bring greater attention to National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, McNabb and the Redskins will lead a series of youth fitness events throughout the area in September, including:
* Recess by the River (September 14), a program coordinated by the American Heart Association and the D.C. Parks & Recreation, supported by CareFirst, the Redskins and GlaxoSmithKline, that teaches children the importance of exercising and other positive, long-lasting behavioural changes affecting their health. More than 1,000 children from D.C. Wards 5, 6, 7 and 8 currently participate in this campaign.
* Redskins "Play 60" at FedExField (September 21), an event made possible by the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation and GlaxoSmithKline that will bring together more than 1,000 kids from around Washington, D.C. to teach them that exercising and staying active is fun and good for their health. McNabb, joined by teammates and the Redskins Cheerleaders, will lead more than 1,000 kids through an interactive group fitness session to highlight the importance of daily exercise and healthy food choices and to establish the Guinness World Record for the "largest virtual exercise lesson."