Charlotte, NC – The Mecklenburg County Health Department understands that childhood obesity, family nutrition, and becoming more physically active, is a priority for many Americans. To address this need, the Health Department has launched Fit City for Fit Families as a companion to the Fit City Challenge to help stem the tide of the national obesity epidemic.

Fit City for Fit Families, found at www.fitcitychallenge.org/families, helps families make positive changes in their daily lives with tools like:

• Fit City Fit Foods: A tool to help you answer the question: What's for dinner? This online tool gives you many family friendly recipes with a healthy twist.
• Daily Calorie Needs Calculator: An online calculator helps you determine how many calories your child needs to be healthy and well.
• Body Mass Index Calculator: An important way to find out if your child's BMI puts him/her at risk for obesity leading to later-life chronic diseases.
• Weekly Meal Planner: An online guide that makes meal planning quick, fun and healthy.
• Grocery List Planner: This online tool allows busy parents to keep track of their grocery buying and planning for more healthy food options.

"As a nutritionist with the Health Department and a parent, I am personally concerned with finding ways to make healthy food decisions and being physically active with my family and have heard from many Mecklenburg County families that they are too," said Kristen Shaben, MCHD Nutritionist & Fit City for Fit Families Coordinator. "We developed Fit City for Fit Families with feedback from Charlotte-Mecklenburg parents and statistics that show families need all the support they can get to provide healthy meals and make time for physical activity."

Fit City for Fit Families is funded by the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund and North Carolina Blue Cross and Blue Shield as part of the Fit Together Program, a statewide obesity prevention and reduction initiative.