A pilot program underway in three Tacoma schools aims to counter inactivity and obesity among youth.

Stewart Middle School was the first school to participate, getting things underway last October. Student who chose to take part hit a workout room at Stewart two days a week for 90-minute sessions after school let out.

Through December staff from the YMCA of Tacoma/Pierce County led the youth through exercises. In January the school received a range of equipment such as stair steppers and treadmills.

Getting fit has personal meaning for Pierce County Councilmember Shawn Bunney. He has lost nearly 100 pounds from walking and biking on trails. He is promoting a nutrition and exercise initiative in middle schools around the county. The exercise equipment was purchased with a grant from the Schools Out to Lights Out program, which Bunney established in his first year on the council.

“This became a logical match to things I was doing,” he remarked.

Stewart was the first school. Bunney noted socio-economic factors played a role in this choice.

Stewart Principal Krestin Bahr said more than 70 percent of her students receive free or reduced-cost lunch. Parents struggling to make ends meet sometimes have to serve cheap food at home, often skipping more nutritious items because of the cost.

Having a workout facility at the school is a realistic option for the students, who may not have the money or transportation to belong to a health club. “Many of our kids will not go to the Y,” Bahr observed.

The program is finished at Stewart for this school year, although the equipment remains for students to use. It is currently being offered at McIlvaigh and Gault middle schools. Bunney wants to add six schools in six different school districts.

Bunney expressed alarm at the rising rates of diabetes, obesity and heart disease among youth locally and around the country. Much of this is the result of unhealthy eating.

“Our children are the fast food generation,” Bahr observed.

Bunney wants overweight children to participate. “This gives them an opportunity to learn a healthy lifestyle,” he said. “I see this as a model that will promote healthy living to kids around Pierce County.”

On April 29 Stewart hosted “Prevention Is Power,” a health fair organized by MultiCare Center for Healthy Living. It celebrated the efforts at the three Tacoma schools. Employees of MultiCare, Tacoma/Pierce County Health Department and the YMCA staffed information booths and ran group activities for students and parents. In the classroom there was discussion on obstacles to getting proper nutrition and exercise. In the gym, children did games based on jumping and sprinting. In the auditorium they learned about healthy eating.

Dr. Mark Mariani practices sports medicine for MultiCare. His father had season tickets to Washington Husky football. Mariani recalled how his father took him to games and always parked several miles from the stadium as a way for both to get some exercise. “Over time, I looked forward to the walking as much as the football,” he said.

In addition to the three organizations represented at the health fair, Bunney noted Russell Investment Group has also provided generous support.