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Seventh-day Adventist Churches Promote Let’s Move Initiative 
Adventists Nationally Say Yes to Healthy Kids and Families

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[TODAY'S DATE] Nearly one in three children in America are overweight or obese, increasing their risk for asthma, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep problems, depression, and bullying. Some of the contributing factors are decreased exercise, large portion sizes, too much refined foods, not enough whole grains, fruits, and vegetables,  and the inability for low-income families to access healthy foods.

United States First Lady Michelle Obama launched “Let’s Move” in February 2010 to help solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation, so that kids born today reach adulthood at a healthy weight. The Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America has joined some 50 other faith and community organizations in supporting this national initiative to fight the epidemic of childhood obesity by launching Adventists InStep for Life, an initiative to assist Adventist churches, schools and health care organizations in tackling the challenge of childhood obesity.

As a part of the Adventists InStep for Life initiative, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America has set aside Sunday, September 23 as “Let’s Move! Day.” “More than ever the time has come for God's message of healing and restoration to be heard. Let’s Move Day is a wonderful opportunity to make a positive impact for Christ in our communities,” said Katia Reinert, MSN, CRNP, FNP-BC, PHCNS-BC, FCN, director of Adventist health ministries. “The ‘Let’s Move’ initiative is consistent with our church’s approach to ministering to people physically, mentally, socially and spiritually,” said Pastor Ted Wilson, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America has set the following four goals for the Let’s Move initiative:

Increase physical activity by:

1. Accumulating 2 million miles through Instep for Life or other activities
2. 60% of Adventist students achieving the NAD and President Active Lifestyle Awards

Focus on Improve diet with more fruit and vegetable servings by:

3. Launching 100 summer feeding sites (VBS, camps, community service activities)
4. Starting 100 new vegetable gardens or farmers markets in schools and/or churches

The main idea is to engage kids, youth, parents, schools and the community in working together to fight obesity

Local participation
The [FILL IN THE BLANK WITH THE NAME OF YOUR ORGANIATION] will be participating in the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s national Let’s Move Day on Sunday, September 23.

[LIST HERE THE ACTIVITIES YOUR ORGANIZATION WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN]

[QUOTE FROM THE LOCAL ORGANIZER AND/OR HEALTH MINISTRIES LEADER ON HOW THIS DAY IS BENEFICIAL TO THE EDUCATION OF ELIMINATING CHILDHOOD OBESITY]

Reinert and other organizers are excited that this initiative has been accepted widely at all levels of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. “Promoting small, simple changes in physical activity and food choices in our daily and family lives can make all the difference in preventing childhood obesity,” she said.

For more information on Let’s Move Day, please visit, http://www.adventistsinstepforlife.org

About the Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a mainstream Protestant church with approximately 16.3 million adult members worldwide, which includes 1.1 million members in North America.