The Wild for Wellness program was a 7-week program created to help prevent childhood obesity. It aimed to teach children ages 10-14 proper physical activity and healthy eating habits. The program tested children's fitness and nutrition knowledge at the beginning and end, and saw improved fitness test results and passing nutrition exam scores. The goal was to help lower childhood obesity rates by providing an easily replicable model for other organizations.

1. Wild for Wellness Program for Preventing
Childhood Obesity
Jade Means , Intern
Marlene DeVose, Wellness Director , Christian
Street YMCA
Purpose
Significance
Methodology
Outcomes Evaluation
Acknowledgements
 Coordinate a seven week
program for children ages
10-14 that will battle
childhood obesity
 Prepare a program model
that can be implemented at
other YMCAs, schools or
community centers
 Obesity is an epidemic in the
United States
 Childhood obesity leads to
chronic diseases like
cardiovascular disease and
diabetes in adulthood
 Children learn proper physical
activity and healthy eating habits
 Wild for Wellness is duplicated in
other YMCAs, schools or
community centers
 Childhood obesity will be
lowered in the United States
I would like to thank my Preceptor,
Marlene DeVose, who guided and
supported me throughout this
project. I would also like to thank
Michele Stevenson for making this
internship possible.
1
• Give children a fitness test that consists of sit
and reach, sprint and long jump and nutritional
test at the beginning of the program
2
• Do target exercises for fitness test with
children and educate them about healthy
eating habits
3
• Administer the fitness test again to compare
results and give a nutritional test to measure
their new knowledge
The children improved their
fitness test skills for the sit
and reach, long jump and
sprint. They all passed the
nutritional exam given on the
final day of the program.
For more information,
contact Marlene DeVose
or
mdevose@philaymca.org
WILD FOR
WELLNESS
Promoting Healthier Habits
After School
CHRISTIANSTREET YMCA
The MacDonald Center for Obesity
Prevention and Education(COPE) has
partnered with the Yto bring you Wild for
Wellness for children ages 10-14!
This FREE program educates students on healthy eating habits including:
• Healthy Portion Sizes
• Choosing a NutritiousBreakfast
What this program will do for your children:
• Provideaccess to nutrition education
• Increasephysical activity levels
• Providea FREE YMCA membership for the enrolled child during the session
SESSION DETAILS: October 5-November
16
Orientation: September 30, 5:00pm
Mondays and Wednesdays:
4:30pm-5:30pm
LOCATION:
1724 ChristianStreet
Philadelphia, PA 19146
Christian Street YMCA
215-735-5800, ext. 1616