Florida Hospital System (see more articles like this)

It started with 33 jumping jacks and has now turned into 10,000 jumping jacks, 2800 sit-ups, and 300 spinning classes.  It’s the Florida Hospital SuperFit Family Challenge, an eight-week program outlined in the book Super Sized Kids: How to Rescue Your Child from the Obesity Threat, and it has transformed the lives of many Central Floridians. 

“This program is about taking a step forward and these families have done that.  I congratulate them,” said Florida Hospital President Lars Houmann.  “What made the Super Fit Family Challenge work is that there was a goal.  If we set a goal, get connected, and partner with other organizations we will achieve the vision of being the healthy kids capital of the world.”

At a special community breakfast, Florida Hospital with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, the Orlando Magic, Publix, the Central Florida YMCA, and the American Heart Association revealed the results of the SuperFit Family Challenge.  Eighty two families completed the challenge, losing a total of 1,101 pounds and 168 inches around their waists. 

“The change in my family has been phenomenal. I have six people in my family and together we lost more than 60 pounds.  But more than that, we really gained a knowledge of how to eat healthier and the importance of exercise.  Our perceptions of what was healthy changed as a result of this program and our family is better for it,” said Christine Parsons, who participated in the SuperFit Family Challenge along with her family.

The SuperFit Family Challenge is now being expanded, and Universal Studios announced that it will embrace the initiative with 100 employees taking part in the challenge.

“Families are the heart of our business at Universal.  But our business wouldn’t be as successful without our employee family.  It is our desire that our employees lead a happy, healthy life.  And we want to make that even easier for them.  Universal Orlando is proud to announce that 100 of our employees will be joining the next test phase of the Florida Hospital SuperFit Family Challenge.  Not only do we think it is important for our employees to be a part of this challenge, we urge every company across Central Florida to offer this challenge to their employees,” said Universal Studios Vice-President of Community Relations Jan Stratton.

When the book Super Sized Kids: How to Rescue Your Child from the Obesity Threat launched last year, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer proclaimed it “Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.”  To continue in the fight against childhood obesity, Florida Hospital partnered with the Orlando Magic, Publix, the Central Florida YMCA, and the American Heart Association to launch the SuperFit Family Challenge.  Central Florida families committed to the challenge with a goal of changing their exercising, eating, and sleeping behaviors to live a healthier life.