According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity rates in America are at an all time high. Nearly 34 percent of adults are obese, more than double the percentage 30 years ago. Even more shocking, 68 percent of adults and nearly one third of children are considered overweight.
When you look at the rates for low income communites, the numbers are even worse. It makes sense if you think about it. For one thing, most parents can feed their families on fast food at a fraction of the cost of healthier alternatives. Gym memberships are prohibitively expensive for this socio-economic group and access to stores that sell healthy foods or even Farmers Markets is limited.
Most weight loss plans or wellness programs are geared toward the middle class. Low-income families simply don’t have the same kind of access. That’s where Ironwill comes in. We provide a comprehensive six week course that covers the fundamentals of good nutrition for these underserved communities. Our team of specialists have customized a program for low-income families that gives them the tools to make healthy eating a part of their everyday lives. Our classes are fun and interactive, combining education with hands on cooking classes in a relaxed and safe environment.
We launched our pilot program on January 10, 2010 at The Mercy Center, a community center in the Mott section of the South Bronx. Since that time there's been a waiting list for upcoming sessions. Some of the topics we cover include:
The Science of Food
Time saving tips for healthy meals
Healthy eating on a budget
Women’s Health Issues
Good nutrition for your kids
Organic food and local farming
Our goal is to educate and build on what the participants already know about the role nutrition plays in overall health. We’ve written a comprehensive manual to go along with the course. The manual is also available in Spanish. The goal is for the participants to leave after six weeks, armed with information and new recipes to make healthy eating a part of their everyday lives.