As a Y.M.C.A. member since 1984, I know it as a great place to become and remain fit, make friends and receive encouragement and support.
What I didn’t know, and I suspect you don’t either, is that the Y.M.C.A. of the U.S.A. is also a prime mover nationwide in creating opportunities for healthier lifestyles, especially for those living in poor communities with few options to exercise safely and eat healthfully.
The organization estimates that its 11-year-old Healthier Communities Initiatives program, now in 247 communities across the country, has benefited millions of people by lobbying for better access to disease prevention programs and nutritious foods, among other local changes.
One very enthusiastic beneficiary is Jorge Caraballo, a resident of East New York, Brooklyn, a poor, mixed neighborhood often called a food desert because of the dearth of places to buy healthful food. At age 38, Mr. Caraballo was seriously overweight and on the way to developing diabetes when, through the recommendation of two doctors, he joined the Y’s Diabetes Prevention Program.
“Because of the Y, I’ve been able to completely transform my life,” Mr. Caraballo said in an interview. “With the amazing support I received from fellow participants and my lifestyle coach, I learned to make healthier eating choices, break old habits and create new ones, and increase my physical activity.”
[For more of this story, written by Jane E. Brody, go to http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/...-the-gym/?ref=health]
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