HAINES CITY, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The UnitedHealthcare IRONKIDS Florida event raced around Lake Eva Park today. Thomas Moore from UnitedHealthcare of Florida, and Patrick McGee, IRONKIDS Race Director kicked-off the triathlon’s pool swim, bike course and run aimed to help stem the rising tide of childhood obesity through exercise and healthy lifestyles.
UnitedHealthcare is sponsoring 10 IRONKIDS events – nine running races and a triathlon – in seven states. Today’s triathlon in Haines City included hundreds of young athletes, ages 6 to 15. The company provided complimentary tickets to the race and weekend-long IRONMAN activities to local students from Seminole County Schools, enabling children who often face barriers to good health, to compete in the event.
Children from low-income and low-education households are three-times more likely to suffer from obesity, which is a leading risk factor for diabetes, heart disease and many cancers, according to America’s Health Rankings®, an annual comprehensive assessment of the nation’s health on a state-by-state basis. Florida ranks 18th in the country in childhood obesity, and more than 11% of Florida youth are estimated to be obese.
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