Thursday, February 11, 2010

Yankees can help fans get in shape


It was great to see Curtis Granderson sign on to the "Let's Move" campaign headed by First Lady Michelle Obama and focused on addressing the childhood obesity epidemic. With nearly one-third of American children overweight or obese, the time to start tackling this problem is now.

The New York Yankees can play a role in addressing obesity by offering healthier snacks and foods at Yankee Stadium. Getting exercise at the stadium is not a problem if you take the hike up the ramps to the top levels where the lower-priced seats are located. But burgers, hot dogs and beer are still the norm and kids can get their fill of cotton candy and ice cream at the stadium. What I'd like to see is more of an emphasis on healthy foods and snacks: grilled chicken salads, fruit cups, low-fat popcorn, yogurts.

This is a very personal issue to me as I struggled with my weight for many years. Before I joined Weight Watchers four years ago, I weighed nearly 200 pounds. But WW taught me how to eat right and exercise regularly. Within eight months, I lost 55 pounds and have kept it off ever since.
But it's not always easy, especially in places like Yankee Stadium where fatty foods dominate. That's why I'm hoping the Yankees take this opportunity to offer their fans healthier food options. They might be surprised at how well they do.

Thanks to Joyce N. Boghosian, White House photographer, via Wikipedia for the photo.

No comments:

Post a Comment