Dr. Katherine Ingram is an associate professor of exercise science at Kennesaw State and the director of KSU for FitKids, a program where KSU students volunteer to promote healthy lifestyle choices to local children.
“More than one out of every three children has an unhealthy body weight, and this rate appears to be climbing,” Ingram said. “My goal is to tackle childhood obesity through both my laboratory research and my community program — KSU for FitKids.”
Eating healthy and taking part in regular, physical activities are among the objectives promoted to kids in the community.
KSU students involved with the program travel to schools across the north Atlanta metropolitan area and help develop programs they hope children will enjoy and find motivating.
These student volunteers create flyers, reach out to various schools and speak to children in small groups about improving health. Events are even occasionally held at KSU.
Ingram was ecstatic about the students who have gotten involved with the program so far.
“It’s great fun to work with this enthusiastic group of student volunteers who come together with a common goal — to make our community healthier,” Ingram said. “The children love this and think KSU volunteers are rock stars.”
KSU for FitKids partners with several other programs in Georgia that work against obesity in children or pregnant people, such as “Girls On The Run,” “Pretty Girls Sweat” and “Oh Baby! Fitness.”
In these partnerships, KSU for FitKids volunteers assist as summer interns, running coaches or helping with business development overall.
The inspiration for the program comes from Ingram’s research involving childhood obesity. She has completed postdoctoral research training in obesity and diabetes through the Nutrition and Obesity Research Center and the Diabetes Research Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Ingram specifically targets trans-generational obesity, or obesity that is passed from mother to child.
“Obese and inactive pregnancies often result in gestational diabetes for the mother and obesity for the child,” Ingram said. “Obese children most often grow up to be adults with obesity, a condition that is associated with a myriad of serious illnesses. This dangerous cycle of obesity and diabetes can go on for generations unless someone can halt it.”
The next step for the program will be trying to involve parents in supporting their children’s healthy lifestyles. Ingram believes that without parental support, a child will likely not succeed in living a healthy lifestyle.
“When we encourage kids to eat fruits and veggies, this can’t happen if these foods aren’t available at home,” Ingram said.
All KSU students are able join KSU for FitKids as a volunteer and are encouraged to reach out to Ingram at kingra@kennesaw.edu.
