2006年VOA标准英语-The First Gym for Kids Opens to Tackle Childhoo

By Yi Suli
Roxbury, Massachusetts
08 August 2006
 
watch Kids Gym report 

Brandy Cruthird started the Body By Brandy fitness center    
  
Body By Brandy has the first children's gym in Boston. It is being called a big step in fighting childhood obesity¹.  And it all started with the vision to change a neighborhood. 

Roxbury is an area in the south of Boston, Massachusetts with mainly African-American residents.  Brandy Cruthird grew up here.  She returned to her hometown after college and decided² to start the first fitness center in this neighborhood.

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"March 11,1996. I took two studio apartments and I turned them into a gym," says Brandy. "I just wanted people in the community to have a place where they can work out." 

Brandy was a high school All-American star in basketball in this neighborhood and won a college scholarship.   Years later, she returned to open the Body By Brandy fitness center.

Fitness equipment designed for children   
  
Now she has a scaled-down version for kids. "Straight training equipment. So it is not my size. It's their size. It is easy for them to use."

It is the brand new Body By Brandy 4 Kidz. It opened in May, a first-of-its kind nonprofit gym specifically for kids.  The 560 square meters 4 Kidz facility is located in the main Body By Brandy fitness center.

The gym is designed to make fitness fun.  It features a rock climbing wall, a boxing program, game bikes, dance revolution pads, cardiovascular equipment, a sport wall and a health and science computer lab. 
 
 
Exercising while playing games is a big hit with the kids 
  
"When kids come in, they check into the computer," Brandy explains. "So we have a system to track your body fat, weight, as well as when they started. The information we get was sent back to the health centers."

Some qualified³ children can actually use the facility for free. "How the kids are referred here? They are clinically diagnosed by Children's Hospital and seven affiliated⁴ health centers. These are kids who are at risk or are already obese⁵."
 
  
  
Cruthird's decision to launch the 4 Kidz program is a response to a 300 percent increase in childhood obesity over the last three decades. Thirty one percent of teenagers between the ages of 10 and 17 in the U.S. are overweight.  The problem is especially prevalent among lower-income African-American and Latino families.

"Without exercises, and of course, without eating properly, kids are definitely going to gain weight, not be healthy, and a lot of those high risk factors, like high blood pressure, diabetes⁶, and hypertension," says Bobby Stevens, a trainer at the 4 Kidz program.  Forty kids joined in the first month.

"Raya and Bob are 13, Joshua is only 9," pointed⁷ out Bobby. "They are all referred by the Boston Children's Hospital to participate in the 4 Kidz program for free."

"I want to lose at least 30 more pounds [13.6 kilos]," Joshua tells us.

Raya chimes in, "Ten pounds [4.5 kilos]."

Bob Gonzalez is more ambitious. "Maybe about 80 or 100 pounds [36 to 45 kilos] I would like to lose."

 
Bobby Stevens, trainer 
  
"Our challenge," says Bobby Stevens, "is to get kids to lose weight, feel good about themselves, and be able to go out and be a witness and say ‘Hey, look at what I did,' by being at this program."

The fun does help the children reach their goals.  They have incentive⁸ to get on a game bike or the dance pad.

Brandy explains the system. "Put together the game bikes with the TVs. And kids can sit here, and play racing⁹ games, as well as getting in shape, and have a good time. You watch on the screen, you just click. So whether the child has any skills or not, this is the game they can have a lot of fun with."

It is already making a difference for some kids.  Joshua has been coming to the center for only three weeks -- and has lost four pounds.

"We do until we reach our goal, says Joshua. "We can't stop or nothing. We reach our goal. That's what we care about. We don't care about nothing else."

"Good job," says Brandy to her young customers. "We're going to work for 18 minutes and 30 seconds. Do you think you can beat me? All right, let me play you."

1 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

4 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

5 obese   

adj.过度肥胖的，肥大的

参考例句：

• The old man is really obese,it can't be healthy.那位老人确实过于肥胖了，不能算是健康。
• Being obese and lazy is dangerous to health.又胖又懒危害健康。

6 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

7 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

8 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

9 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。