Montefiore in the News

Montefiore Medical Center and The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center Help Local Youth
Achieve Their Goals Through The Bronx Nutrition & Fitness Initiative for Teens

New York (May 14, 2013) – Families, community members, Montefiore Medical Center and Mosholu Montefiore Community Center associates gathered together at the New York Botanical Gardens on Saturday for  a two-mile walk-a-thon in support of the Bronx Nutrition & Fitness initiative for Teens (B’N Fit), a community-based adolescent weight-management program. The walk-a-thon is held annually to educate the community about how to reverse the obesity epidemic.

“Two out of every five school-aged children and adults in the borough are overweight or obese,” said Steven M. Safyer, M.D., president and CEO of Montefiore Medical Center. “The impact of obesity and its associated conditions, including diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, take a toll on our community every day. The B’N Fit program as well as Montefiore’s other health and wellness initiatives give patients, employees and the community-at-large the support and resources needed to make small changes that help transform their lives.”

The B’N Fit program was developed in 2005 by Montefiore and the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center in response to the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity. This unique community-based program provides comprehensive weight loss services in a safe and supportive environment for teens and their families. The program teaches participants how to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors, enhance their personal responsibility, and utilize family, social and community resources to achieve personal goals.

“B’N Fit is designed to help kids in our community build stronger, healthier bodies and confident minds,” said Jessica Rieder, M.D., M.S., director of the B’N Fit Program and assistant clinical professor of Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. “Our annual walk-a-thon is a great way to show families that exercise can be easy and fun.”

The B'N Fit Program includes monthly medical assessments, group and individual counseling, cooking classes, nutrition counseling, physical activity sessions, weekly parent groups and monthly family nights.

“Mosholu Montefiore Community Center provides the socialization and recreational activities that help the teens focus and stay committed to the medical and nutritional components of the program provided by Montefiore. We are proud of this successful ongoing partnership,” said Don Bluestone, M.S.W., Executive Director of Mosholu Montefiore Community Center.  

Montefiore recently launched a new B’N Fit website for greater community access to tools and educational resources on healthy living. For more information about the program, please visit http://bnfit.montefiore.org/