Children’s health, and childhood obesity in particular, has taken center stage in recent years, as every strata of society — from high-ranking public officials and celebrities to school districts and soccer moms — have rallied to bring this issue to our collective attention. With the ever-growing popularity of video games and the omnipresence of computers, televisions and hand-held devices, it’s more important than ever for families, schools and communities to band together and address this pervasive problem.

An exciting new program called KiDSMARATHON was recently introduced by the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS), which tackles this real-world issue in a fun way that kids and their families can embrace. Structured around an eight to 10 week training schedule, KiDSMARATHON enables kids to complete a full marathon by running or walking incremental distances each week. At the end, all schools and students who participated will come together for a KiDSMARATHON Celebration and complete the final mile of the “marathon” together. These will be held at two locations on separate days: May 22 at Southington High School and June 5 at Norwich Free Academy.

“For us, 2010 KiDSMARATHON is a very exciting initiative,” says Dave Maloney, assistant executive director of CAS. “It’s servicing critical needs for youngsters throughout the state of Connecticut and couldn’t come at a better time in their livelihood. With the growing concern of childhood obesity as it pertains to the health of our youth, we felt the need to implement a program that not only encourages an active healthy lifestyle, but also results in a tremendous feeling of accomplishment and self-confidence for all those who participate.”

Sodexo and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut have partnered with CAS as sponsors of the KiDSMARATHON. In the case of Anthem, it’s an event that is clearly in line with their overall goals and mission statement.

“At Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, our mission is to improve the lives of the people we serve and the health of our communities,” says Dr. Eina G. Fishman, medical director, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut.

“KiDSMARATHON not only supports our corporate mission of helping our members and their families maintain good health, but the program also supports our Anthem Alliance, our strategic partnership with Connecticut municipalities. Anthem Alliance was developed last year to address the rising epidemic of chronic diseases associated with lifestyle choices and health behaviors by offering tools to empower individuals to take necessary steps to live healthier lives. The goals and mission of KiDSMARATHON are a perfect fit with our Anthem mission and the strategy behind Anthem Alliance. We encourage all children to take the Marathon challenge and develop life-long habits of good health for our leaders of tomorrow!

“KiDSMARATHON is very impressive because it’s doable, particularly for kids who haven’t been very active,” adds Dr. Fishman. “It gives them a way to start walking that’s not overwhelming. When you think about it, 26 miles is a lot of walking, especially for kids who might not be used to that much physical activity. But in partnering with the schools and integrating it into the physical education programs or the health programs, I think it makes it seem achievable to them. We want people to have goals that they can achieve, and then build on those successes.”

Dr. Fishman’s point is a good one especially for children whose families don’t put a strong emphasis on regular physical activity. However, the program is so balanced and there is such a positive support structure, that it’s designed to be an all-inclusive program with “no boundaries,” as Maloney notes, open to virtually any child, ages 7-12, in Connecticut.

The basic starting point is that an elementary school signs up, through CAS, to participate and then offers the program to their students. For up to eight weeks, students train using the KiDSMARATHON Training Guide, mentored by their parents or guardian. During those eight weeks, each student works to accumulate a total of 25 miles. The final 1.2 miles (to total a true marathon) will be completed at the events noted above, which are designed as a celebration of their accomplishments.

Each CAS member elementary school may administer the program for any number of students in any format they choose. From P.E./health classes to recess to parent-supervised running activities, kids of all shapes, sizes and ability levels are welcome to participate. According to Maloney, the program was developed by New York City Marathon winner Rod Dixon and piloted to a group of 125 students last spring. Buoyed by that success and the positive feedback, Maloney is targeting a larger group this year through CAS schools, and anticipates “hundreds and hundreds” of students will participate. It’s a positive and uplifting way to address the alarming studies that are being released on childhood obesity.

“Frankly we are very concerned about the data that shows that the prevalence of obesity in kids has tripled in the last 20 years,” says Dr. Fishman. “That’s probably going to continue unless we support programs like this that are fun and achievable and will show good health outcomes. It’s very exciting.”

While sign-ups began in mid-March, Maloney noted that through the first 10 days of April, it’s still a great time to sign up. The cost for each participant is $5 for CAS member schools and $10 for non-CAS member schools. Each student will be awarded a certificate, T-shirt and medal for their participation. You can register at www.casciac.org/register, but you can also call 203-250-1111.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Anthem Health Plans, Inc. Independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.