Hanover Hospital Offers "Eat Smart. Play Hard" Series for Families

Hanover Hospital's Wellness Connection is proud to offer Eat Smart. Play Hard. ™, a free educational series, featuring Power Panther, a character who helps families with children ages 7-13 learn about healthy eating, physical activity and play, and living and growing at a healthy weight.

Sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture's Food & Nutrition Service, the series is divided into three sessions. Families may choose to attend one or participate
in all three. All sessions are held from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Hanover Community Health & Education Center, 400 York Street, Hanover:

"Let's Get Cooking" - Wed., March 21st Presented by: Nadine Wolf, M.S., R.D., Director, Food & Nutrition Services, Hanover Hospital

"Spring Into Action-Bring Your Sneakers!" – Wed., April 18th
Presented by: Janice Swartz, B.S., Health Educator, Hanover Wellness Connection

"You Can Do It" – Wed., May 16th
Presented by: Shiryl Mathai, MPH, Community Health Manager, Hanover Wellness Connection

Eat Smart. Play Hard. ™ is designed to help families adopt behaviors that promote nutrition and health, and reduce the risk for obesity and other chronic diseases. Participants will learn how to make family time an active time, how to empower children to make healthy lifestyle choices, and how to balance their day with food and play. The series will offer helpful tips on how to "power up" with breakfast, how to make quick and
easy snacks, and how easy it is to move more and sit less.

According to Janice Swartz, Wellness Connection Health Educator, when the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 was signed into law, U.S. Congress required schools receiving federally funded meal programs to develop and implement wellness policies. Many wellness policies emphasize the selection of healthier food items and other options that promote and encourage students to eat healthy and be physically active with the goal being to improve the health and well being of students.

"Children must be encouraged, empowered, and practice healthy behaviors with their parents," said Swartz. " Eat Smart. Play Hard. ™ will provide ideas on healthy eating
and interactive exercise activities that the family can do together to assure they get on the right track to living a healthy lifestyle."

Pre-registration is required. To register or to learn more about other health education programs provided by Hanover Hospital, please call 717-633-8873.