Media

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— During the month of March, Curves for Women waived their $179 membership signup fee for any woman that brought in non-perishable foods for their local food bank. Springfield Curves locations collected an ample 2,268 pounds for the Ozarks Food Harvest.

This generous donation will help improve the health of our entire community. While obesity is a problem that affects all segments of society, studies show that people who are food insecure are even more likely to be obese. People who don’t have a consistent source of healthy food often binge when it becomes available. This is especially true for children of low income families, which often creates long-term unhealthy eating habits. According to www.nutritionexplorations.org, the number of overweight children has nearly doubled in the last decade.  Sixty percent of children age 5 to 10 has one or more heart disease risk factors, and only 29% of children attend daily physical education classes.

As the largest fitness franchise in the world, with over 9,000 locations worldwide, Curves Clubs are the first fitness and weight loss facility dedicated to providing affordable, one-stop exercise and nutritional information for women. Not only did their recent food-drive make it easier for many women to join their program, it also allowed many families living in poverty improved access to food and ultimately to better health. It is great to have community partners like Curves who understand how important diet and exercise are to the overall health of our community, and we are very grateful to them for their efforts in helping us transform hunger into hope.

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To learn more, contact Lindsey Neddenriep at (417) 865-3411.