Discovery Key Elementary School finds fun way to battle childhood obesity

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Seven year old Jonathan Steinbach is doing the limbo dance in his music class. The dancing is part of Discovery Key Elementary's six week program to encourage kids to be active. The program, which is part of the presidential challenge, also encourages Jonathan and his classmates to do at least 30 minutes of exercise at home. Jonathan says he likes playing outside. "I like playing soccer and going out with my friends."

Hundreds of students and their teachers are involved in the Heart Healthy program at the school with help from second grade teacher, Julie Janczyk.

"With the teachers being motivated it helps motivate the children the new presidential activity log that we have, they actually add nutrition to it," said Julie.

Julie says every day, the students fill out a journal which keeps track of how many minutes they're exercising and what they are eating.

"On the form they have the different vegetables, different lifestyle changes as far as eating for the kids to make. So, as a class we decided to when we began the program what is the first thing we can change in the class. Well, we got rid of the candy jar so we had to come up with something to change, " said Julie. 

She also brings to class a different vegetable hoping students will want to eat more veggies when they are home.

So far, Jonathan loves the program. "I think it's kind of good, " he said.