Michael Torchia, Celebrity Trainer to the Stars, Announces the Launch of Children's Fitness Academy, in an Effort to Combat America's Fight Against Childhood Obesity

Los Angeles, CA, January 13, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Children's Fitness Academy (CFA) will focus on improving access to affordable healthy foods and opportunities for safe physical activity in schools and communities. It will place special emphasis on reaching children at greatest risk for obesity and related health problems: African-American, Latino, Native American, Asian American and Pacific Islander children living in low-income communities.

A recent and important national educational trend has been the creation of new, small high schools and the conversion of large high schools into "small school learning communities". The personalized learning environment of small schools has been proven to better support students' individual needs and learning styles while improving academic achievement, attendance, college-going rates, social behavior, attitudes and student-teacher relations.

CFA's Objectives for 2009 include:

1) To facilitate the design and implementation of small high school programs that support career exploration in the fields of health, nutrition, fitness and sports.

Their team of business, educational, fitness and medical experts share a vision of helping students avoid a lifetime of obesity and risk of developing Metabolic Syndrome-X by building sound nutritional and fitness habits conceived by the CFA Model. CFA has the realistic opportunity to help students to go on to post-secondary experiences that will enable them to make a difference in their communities by becoming leaders in their chosen fields.

2) Proper implementation of the After School Education and Safety (ASES) Program.

Work collectively with the partnerships between schools and local community resources to provide literacy, academic enrichment and safe constructive alternatives for students in kindergarten through ninth grade. CFA's intent is to create and encourage school districts to provide safe and educationally enriching alternatives for children and youth during non-school hours. CFA's team members will work along with staff members who directly supervise students and make sure they meet the minimum qualifications of an instructional aide in that school district.

3) Redesign the Physical Educational and Nutrition Programs for all public elementary and high schools across the country.

CFA will implement well-structured and educational Physical Education (PE) and Nutrition programs designed on modern principals of heath and wellness. The CFA designed 'Healthy Kids Project, - will educate children and their parents on how to establish proper eating habits specifically addressing and providing knowledge of risks of obesity, anorexia and bulimia. Included will be a new program, "Creative Cooking and Food Preparation," this fun and easy to follow program will help children learn how to make great tasting and highly nutritious meals with their favorite foods. They will learn the importance of making proper food choices, what to eat when they are on the run, at a friend's house, parties and fast food restaurants.

4) Redesign existing Sports and Fitness Facilities and laying out new indoor and outdoor facilities for new schools.

CFA will assist in developing state-of-the-art Sports and Fitness Facilities for elementary and high schools. “Children Fitness Academy's” goal is to level off Childhood Obesity by 2012 and see a decline by 2017. Having access to before and after school programs in a well-monitored facility will increase activity and interaction levels in a healthy and safe environment.

Michael Torchia, a health and fitness expert who has trained a variety of A List celebrities for their film projects was someone who struggled with weight his entire childhood and into his teens. After a string of particularly humiliating experiences, he became determined to change the way he looked and felt. He discovered lifting weights, and everything changed. From that moment on he was determined to get himself in shape, despite ridicule from his father. He became Teenage Mr. New York State and started a personal training business at age 17. Soon after he had received the Teenage Mr. America title, Mr. New York title, and Mr. California title. The rest is history, since then he has devoted his life to preventing children from going through the suffering of being unhealthy and unhappy, as he did for many years. Through www.operationfitness.com and the Children's Fitness Academy, he knows that he can make a difference.

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