Fit Families Supplemental Nutrition Program - Education

Fit Families Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) is a successful behavior change program targeted primarily to families of two-to-four years old children enrolled in WIC at Fit Families Centers in Wisconsin. Fit Families coaches empower families to adopt healthy eating and physical activity behaviors by offering individualized guidance, support, and tools to families each month for a year. Evaluation results for children who have completed the program indicated a significant positive effect in fruit and vegetable consumption, juice consumption, physical activity and screen time.  Fit Families strives to help prevent childhood obesity and collaborates with other SNAP-Ed projects and partners in the community.

Fit Families logo

Core Messages

Fit Families employs three core messages and one primary message to combat overweight and obesity:

  1. Move more and watch less - encourage Fit Families participants to engage in active play or physical activity for at least 60 minutes every day and to reduce screen time to two hours or less each day.

  2. Make every bite count with more fruits and vegetables - encourage children and their parents to eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables each day.

  3. Make every sip count with healthier beverages - encourage families to reduce or eliminate the use of sugared beverages.

  4. Eat healthy and be active: your kids are watching - encourage parents to be good role models for their children

Components

Fit Families engages three components to build a strong environment for families:

  1. The Family Component is directed at families with children age 2 to 4 years.  Families enroll and work with a Fit Families Coach to set wellness goals.  The families and coach work together throughout the year to attain those goals

  2. The Organization Component is directed at Fit Families Centers.  The Centers are the organizations offering the Fit Families Program.  Centers develop an environment which practices and promotes healthy lifestyles for the Center staff, Fit Families staff, the families they serve, and the broader community.  

  3. The Community Partnerships Component reinforces Fit Families health messages and helps to promote and protect the health of all children in participating communities.

For more information about Fit Families contact Theresa at email Theresa Seidl.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Please find the full non-discrimination statement at: WIC: Nondiscrimination Statement