University of Florida students will create obesity prevention programs for their peers and for high school students as part of a federal research and extension grant.
The “Get Fruved” campaign will use peer interaction to get high school and college students to eat more fruits and vegetables, exercise more and manage stress more effectively.
UF will receive $557,000 for the project. The money, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, comes in one-year increments, and UF will start receiving its share in August, school officials said.
Starting in August, students at eight college campuses, including UF, will develop ways to get younger students to adopt healthier lifestyles. Students will dress as fruits and vegetables, use social media and use information from www.fruved.com.
They also may expand gardens, work to improve access to healthy foods at campus eateries, hold dance events and challenge each other to exercise more.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: University of Florida students get $557K grant to fund obesity prevention