WIESBADEN, Germany - It's a simple concept -- start the day off right and good things will follow.
That's what U.S. Army Europe leaders are sharing with school children throughout Europe in an effort to encourage healthier lifestyles.
"I want to talk to you about Fueling the Future," said Maj. Gen. James C. Boozer, USAREUR deputy commander, to a roomful of Wiesbaden Middle School seventh-graders during the launch of the USAREUR initiative in Wiesbaden Oct. 1. "It's all about eating smart and living smart."
Explaining that the initiative is an outgrowth of an earlier effort by Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, USAREUR commander, called Fueling the Team, the programs aims to try to get all members of the Army Family engaged in eating nutritious foods, exercising and enjoying healthy lifestyles.
"We want you to start feeling better physically and to feel smarter -- and you can do that by eating right -- starting the day off right," Boozer said, asking the students to consider the foods they are eating. "Think before you eat about what you are putting in your body, whether or not it's good for you."
As the auditorium filled with the sounds of the popular dance hit "Macarena," the USAREUR leader asked students to join him in a quick dance routine to get the blood flowing and bodies stretched. After a quick workout, Boozer led the students to the Wiesbaden High School track for some laps around the newly renovated field.
"The focus of the program is all about eating smart and being smart," Boozer said, "fueling your bodies each day to be physically fit, spiritually fit and mentally fit.
"It's really a community program," he added, explaining that everyone plays a role in the overall fitness of a family and a community.
Dr. Susan Hargis, Wiesbaden Middle School principal, was also on hand to join in launching the school's nutrition literacy partnership program with the Defense Commissary Agency. She explained that through the new program, one similar to a program she introduced while leading the Kaiserslautern Middle School, students will work with the local commissary to get better informed about food safety, nutrition and other topics.
"The commissary will become an extension of the classroom," she said, pointing out that military families consistently visit their local store, and children shape their parents' buying habits. "As a military parent myself, I know that the major decisions in a family are influenced by the children."
"I learned that eating healthy is the best choice for you," said Wiesbaden seventh-grader Chantal Lanier. "Staying healthy and fit is good so you won't have problems in the future."
"The program today was fun," echoed fellow seventh-grader Jarred Edwards. "A lot of us learned what good nutrition is."
For Haylie Livingston the takeaway message was "don't eat pizza and pancakes every day."
Livingston, who said she suffers from asthma and doesn't like to run, explained that for her fitness involves taking long walks and singing to herself.
Reaching children at an early age to stress the importance of healthy eating and physical fitness are vital in helping families make the right choices and to promote future health, Hargis added. "Anything we want changed -- we start with the kids."
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