Shooting for Better Health
Health Plus and LMC Team Up with NETS
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This second annual event is a key component of the Shoot for Better Health campaign which encourages students to score a perfect 5-2-1-0 every day. Endorsed by the American Diabetes Association, this unique initiative is aimed at reducing obesity and obesity related chronic diseases among children. This event educated children on healthy eating habits and the importance of regular exercise. During the basketball clinic, students participated in drills and exercises alongside NETS staff, dancers, and Sly.
As a major contributor to the program's success, the NETS will also host an awards night in March where participating students will be publicly honored during a live NBA game. "The Nets are very pleased to be partners with Lutheran Family Health Centers and to provide an incentive for these children to excel in such a crucial area of their lives," said Brett Yormark, president and CEO, Nets Sports and Entertainment. "We appreciate being part of this important goal to improve fitness and dietary habits of local school kids and we look forward to hosting the children at a game in March."
The 5-2-1-0 plan for good health, created by Lutheran's school health program, means eating five servings of fruits and vegetables, limiting TV and computer time to only two hours a day, getting at least one hour of exercise a day, and drinking zero soda or sugar sweetened drinks. For the past eight weeks, the students who participated in the clinic kept daily diaries tracking their nutrition and exercise habits. Lutheran's school health program then used these diaries to help assess the health habits of the students and help them and their families "Shoot for Better Health."
“We are extremely pleased to be a part of this program,” said Tom Early, Executive Director of Health Plus. “At Health Plus, we have a commitment to the well-being of the communities we serve, and taking the steps to ensure that these children develop healthy eating and exercise habits is crucial to our mission. We have always dedicated ourselves to teaching similar workshops with people of all ages, but exposing children to professional athletes, like the NETS, gives them the motivation and the perspective needed o see the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.”
Health Plus and Lutheran Family Health Centers staff, along with NETS’s dancers.
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Health Plus, a not-for-profit, multi-cultural organization, is one of the fastest growing managed care organizations in New York City. It was established in 1984 with a commitment to provide coordinated quality health care and improving access to health care for uninsured and underserved families. In its annual review of managed care plans, the New York State Department of Health ranked Health Plus as the top plan for quality in its 2002 and 2003 "Consumer's Guide to Medicaid Managed Care in New York City." Health Plus is New York City's leading provider of Child Health Plus, a New York State Department of Health program that offers parents FREE or low-cost health insurance for children under the age of 19. "CRAIN'S New York Business" magazine ranked Health Plus fifth among the largest health maintenance organizations in the New York area.






