There’s no question that many teens are overweight and don’t get enough exercise. In fact, an estimated 15% are considered overweight or obese, with the numbers growing. At the other extreme, many teens are severely dieting to be “model thin,” with eating disorders also on the rise. Even those who are within normal weight ranges often eat poorly during these critical growth years, affecting their energy and concentration levels now, and putting them at risk for future health problems. In this program, four diverse teen reporters point out the short- and long-term dangers of an unhealthy lifestyle, including low energy, difficulty concentrating, heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis and diabetes. To help viewers make smart choices, they give easy-to-use information about reading labels to find the fat and sugar in food; exercising at home; eating well at fast food restaurants; changing family habits; and much more. They also visit a public school that makes nutrition and fitness part of the curriculum; plus a Boys & Girls Club where middle school teens learn nutrition basics and fun activities. Through humor, surprising facts and compelling personal stories, teens and parents see how leading a healthy lifestyle can contribute to their self-esteem.
“This well-paced production easily holds the attention of its intended audience and is a good choice for classroom study of fitness and healthy eating.” ---Booklist
In the Mix is the Emmy award winning PBS documentary series for teens.

This program and others from the In the Mix series are available as DVDs, with performance rights and discussion guides, for educational use. Many are closed- captioned and have Spanish subtitles.
For more information or to order a copy of this episode, please visit www.inthemix.org or call 800-343-5540 Less