The Junior League of Fort Worth, through its Kids in the Kitchen international program, joined United Way recently in the fight against childhood obesity. At Mitchell Boulevard Elementary School in southeast Fort Worth, children and adults participated in a food pyramid relay race, made healthy trail mix and enjoyed other activities designed to help them lead healthier lives at home. More than 100 people attended the event.

Other sponsors of the Kids in the Kitchen event included the Fort Worth Independent School District, JPS Health Network, KERA, Texas Cooperative Extension and University of North Texas Health Science Center.

Mitchell Boulevard Elementary School is situated in an area that has some of the county’s highest levels of obesity. United Way is funding and organizing a three-year project at the school that combines exercise, nutrition education and family involvement. Kids in the Kitchen was the latest step in this ongoing program.

The goal of the three-year project is to reduce the rate of overweight and obesity of participating third-grade students at Mitchell Boulevard Elementary, as measured by body fat, waist circumference and body mass index (ratio of weight to height). Other project partners are the University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health and JPS Health Network Department of Family Medicine.

Junior League’s Kids in the Kitchen, an international program of The Association of Junior Leagues International, was launched in 2006 across Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States to help communities address childhood obesity and poor nutrition.