News 12 at 6 o'clock / Tuesday, August 24, 2010

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Lake Forest Hills Elementary School helped kick off a campaign Tuesday for students to stay healthy and fit. Subway's spokesperson Jared Fogle surprised the students and shared his weight loss story.

Jared "The Subway Guy" says his message is simple- P.E.P. Play more, eat right, and push away video games and computers.

Students laugh as Jared pulls out his famous pair of pants from when he weighed more than 425 pounds. He's kept the weight off for eleven years now and says teaching kids to be healhty is no joke."I think we've got to prioritize kids' health. Unfortunately between P.E. classes tending to get cut and school lunches, budgetary cuts with school lunches, those are two of the biggest issues.But at the same time, I see a lot of hope because I think schools are realizing they play a huge role in these kids' lives."

Elementary age students all over the CSRA can enter Subway's Fresh Fit competition by making a thirty second video or a poster about what healthy means to them. The grand prize winners are awarded a $1,000 gift-card to Subway and $1,000 fitness grant to their school.

Students can pick up an entry form at any local Subway restaurant.

"We get the chance to come into these schools and speak to kids before they've created those habits one way or the other and just encourage them to make those healthier habits," Fogle explains. One website reports that 70% of obese children will retain their weight into their adulthood.

This is MCG nutrition manager Jessica Baye's second year as one of the judges. She explains why it's so important for kids to get involved in health awareness. "There's a lot less physical activity and on top of that we have a lot more foods eaten away from home." She says Georgia ranks third for obese children.

Jessica says in the end, parents play the most crucial role for healthier kids. "You can't just tell a child to eat their veggies and then sit there and eat a bag of chips. It doesn't work that way. They have to be able to see you do it, too."

Jared says he has one goal for each of the students he meets with. "My main goal with these kids is to make sure they don't make the same mistakes that I did. It was third or fourth grade when I started making those poor decisions with my health. Playing way too many video games, watching too much TV, eating too much junk food. It was a downward spiral for my health."

Augusta mayor Deke Copenhaver declared this coming September "Nutrition and Fitness Awareness" month. Fogle adds, "Even if we can just reach a handful of these kids that's what it's all about."

Childhood obesity is on the rise, more than tripling in the past 30 years. In 2008 nearly 20% of children ages 6 to 11 were obese, and 18 percent of ages 12 to 19 were obese. Obesity can lead to long term health problems. Children are more likely to have heart disease, high blood pressure, joint issues, and sleep problems.

If you'd like to hear more about eating healthy, check out our "Eating Well with Kim" section on the WRDW website. Kim, a registered dietitian, gives you several healthy meal options and even shows you how to make them. She always has great, healthy recipes to pass along.