Success Stories

Live Light Live Right Guest Blogger: YOGASMOGA

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Yoga Apparel Brand Shows Real Beauty

The benefits of yoga range from healing aches and pains in the body, to fortifying the immune system. It comes with little surprise that people of all ages; taking up a yoga practice has positively impacted backgrounds, shapes and sizes. While many are mindful of the reasons that bring them to the studio, not much thought goes into the messaging behind the clothes these yogis sport in class.

As the yoga movement gains popularity in Western markets, many brands are jumping on the opportunity to appeal to this growing group. A majority of these labels utilize nearly identical, thin and flawless models to advertise their exercise ensembles. This creates quite a paradox for the modern yogi: while photo retouching promotes a standardized image of “the beautiful yoga body,” this rigidity does not reflect the diversity and variety within each practitioner’s yoga journey.

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Live Light Live Right Introduces the P.A.T.H Program

Live Light Live Right is Introducing a Special Program to Help Your Child Achieve a Healthier and Happier Lifestyle: P.A.T.H. (Parents As Teachers and Healers)

The goal of the P.A.T.H. Program is to provide parents with a set of special skills, so that they can guide their own child/children in coping with his or her weight problem. Our goal is to teach the parent to become the teacher and healer in partnership with our expert doctors.

This will be a unique 6-week training program to a select group of parents in the following areas:

  • Healthy Eating and Nutrition
  • Healthy Activity and Exercise
  • Positive Self-Esteem and Coping Skills
  • Medical Concerns with Obesity

We will start the program on November 1st, with an introductory meeting that will outline the topics of the 6 weekly sessions.  We are limiting the program to LLLR participants between the ages of 5-12.

Scholarship Opportunities are Built with SUNY Downstate School of Public Health

Live Light Live Right (LLLR) was chosen to be the site for the recipients by Drs. Alicia and Madu Rao, who created a scholarship program for students that are pursuing a Masters of Public Health or a Doctor of Public Health at SUNY Downstate School of Public Health.  This scholarship that was generously created by Drs. Alicia and Madu Rao, will allow students to work with Dr. Sarita Dhuper, Director of Pediatric Cardiology and Founder of Live Light Live Right and Dr. Aimmee Afable-Munsuz, Assistant Professor of Community Health Sciences at SUNY Downstate.

Three students were awarded the Drs. Alicia and Madu Rao Annual School of Public Health Scholarship beginning Fall 2014. The students will have a experience both clinically and providing community field work in pediatric obesity.  The scholarship places dual emphasis on practical experience in public health and applied research to build an evidence base for the LLLR program.

We want to congratulate the three students recipients and are looking forward to having them as part of the Live Light Live Right program.

Knockout Obesity Box Their Way into Live Light Live Right

Group shot Ko event

On Saturday, October 25, 2014, youth from Live Light, Live Right visited the Brownsville Recreation Center to participate in the ‘KO Program,’ a local boxing initiative aimed at combating the obesity epidemic. The obesity epidemic is a crisis in poor communities like Brownsville, Brooklyn, where two-thirds of children ages 5 to 11 are overweight.

Brooklyn based charity, Knockout Obesity, developed the ‘KO Program’ to help community centers with after school programs, like the Brownsville Recreation Center, to keep their kids moving. Charity founder and Brooklyn restaurateur, Dimitrios Verteouris, spearheaded the class of 32 youth alongside professional boxer, Gary Stark, Jr. For 50 minutes, the participants were run through a rigorous combination of calisthenics and boxing drills, followed by a 10 minute cool down period and nutrition lesson. The children smiled and laughed, which showed how much fun they had during the program.

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The Surprising Facts About Pumpkin

pumpkin image for facts about

It’s finally pumpkin season, and the reasons to celebrate are many. Pumpkin plays a starring role at Thanksgiving , but you should consider making it a more regular part of your diet. The bright orange flesh of a pumpkin is loaded with fiber and key vitamins and minerals. It’s also easy to use pumpkin in a variety of recipes from sweet to savory.

Nutrition Facts


Did you know 1 cup of cooked pumpkin only contains 30 calories, less than 1/2 gram of fat, 1 mg sodium, and 8 grams of carbs? Take a look at what other nutrients pumpkin provides.

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Ask The Experts: What do you know about weight bias?

Dr. Barry Panzer, Ph.D, ACSW, BCD
Mental Health Consultant, Live Light Live Right

Overweight and obesity in childhood can be the first step in the development of diabetes, heart disease and other serious adult health problems. However, weight bias – the emotional and sometimes physical mistreatment due to excess weight – can begin early and last a lifetime. Teasing, name calling, exclusion form athletic and social activities by peers and physical bullying have been regarded as the main cause of psychological and social problems in children with obesity. Continue reading →

‘KNOCKOUT OBESITY’ Boxing Demo Aims to Curb Obesity in Poor Communities Live Light Live Right to ‘KO’ Obesity at Brownsville Recreation Center

Press Release

KO Obesity Logo Official
LLLR small logo

BROOKLYN, NY (October 20, 2014) — The obesity epidemic is a crisis in poor communities like Brownsville, Brooklyn, where two-thirds of children ages 5 to 11 are overweight. Brooklyn based charity, Knockout Obesity, began implementing its new “KO Program” this summer, supporting community centers serving low-income neighborhoods. On Saturday, October 25, 2014, at 10:00AM, Knockout Obesity will host a boxing demonstration for Live Light Live Right youth at Brownsville Recreation Center (1555 Linden Boulevard, Brooklyn, NY 11212).

Currently, Knockout Obesity is hosting its first eight-week pilot program at Bushwick-Hylan Cornerstone located in the Bushwick-Hylan NYCHA Houses. Knockout Obesity provides a course blueprint and professional boxer to teach each class. Boxing equipment is donated to participating community centers, and existing staff is trained to sustain the program year round.

Charity founder and Brooklyn restaurateur, Dimitrios Verteouris, personally contributes to the weekly KO classes, engaging youth in a variety of boxing drills and calisthenics, followed by a cool down period and nutrition lesson. A former cast member on Food Network’s reality show, Fat Chef, Verteouris lost 82lbs in three months using boxing and his own good eats at Nature’s Grill.

Earlier this year, Knockout Obesity was the recipient of a $25,000 donation from Two-Time and Two Division Boxing World Champion and NABF Welterweight Champion Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi. Knockout Obesity has been featured by ESPN, The Insider, New York Daily News, New York Post, Metro NY, Hot 97 and more. www.KOobesity.com

About Live Light Live Right

Live Light, Live Right is a Brookdale Hospital and community-based partnership, non-profit 501(c)(3), serving overweight and
obese children ages 2-19. Nearly half of the children in the program are those who live below the poverty line; suffer from a BMI
>95th percentile or are at high risk of developing diabetes or other serious chronic diseases. By providing free or highly subsidized services, Live Light has already helped over 2,500 children improve their diet, exercise habits, and their health. The novel, multi-disciplinary approach has resulted in positive health outcomes, including the reduction of Body Mass Index scores, cholesterol, blood pressure, and insulin levels for nearly three-quarters of all participants. www.livelight.org

Contact:

Katherine Kostreva, On Point Publishing
(727) 492-6421
Katherine@onpointpublishing.com

Alisha Rappaport, Live Light Live Right
alisha@livelight.org

Nutrition Know How…. Tips to get Through the School Year!

Nutrition Know How….Tips to get through the school year!

November is upon us, and the kids are well into the school year. While most of us plan on what we will wear to school each day, or do we have all of our homework? Are you still struggling with, What do I eat for lunch? It is time to refocus your efforts as a family to ensure your children’s nutrition and physical activity habits are on track this year.

  • Do you make time for breakfast? Breakfast is a very important meal for growing children. Studies show that breakfast eaters tend to have higher test scores, they concentrate better and solve problems more easily. So whether they eat at home or at school, be sure your children eat a nutritious breakfast every day.
  • Review weekly lunch menus. The National School Lunch Program requires that the meals offered in most schools must have a certain amount of calories, fat, saturated fat, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. It may surprise you to learn that many foods fit into these guidelines, including chicken nuggets and tater tots.

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LLLR Partners With the Brownsville Recreation Center to bring you Knockout Obesity

Live Light Live Right and the Brownsville Recreation Center (BRC) are working together to bring new and fun fitness class to the Live Light Live Right participants. Knockout Obesity, The “KO Program” is reaching out in the community to bring physical activity and nutrition education. The KO mission is to combat childhood obesity by providing nutritional and physical education, and programming, using the tenets of boxing, while partnering with private and non-profit organizations to reach both youth and adults in need.

Live Light Live Right and the BRC staff will be working with Knockout Obesity to demo their boxing class, which includes a short nutrition lesson at the end of the class. We will be trying this on October 25th at the BRC.

It is open to all Live Light Live Right kids. Please see attached flyer for more information.

LLLR Knockout obesity Flyer

Obesity Training Workshop

Dr. Sarita Dhuper will be conducting an Obesity Training Workshop to physicians about Enhance Patient Centered Coordinated Care for the Overweight Child and Family

When:

September 30, 2014

Time:

8:00 am to 10:00 am

Where:

Brookdale University Hospital Alumni Hall
One Brookdale Plaza
Brooklyn, NY 11212

Agenda:

8:00 am – 9:00 am: Understanding Basic Obesity Concepts

9:00 am – 10:00 am: Management of the Obese Child in Primary Care Settings

Presenter: Dr. Sarita Dhuper, MD, FACC, Diplomate American Board of Obesity Medicine, Director – Live Light Live Right Program

A light breakfast & a short workout will be included.

Come dressed to workout