Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 20, 2007

Contact: Marisa Ramirez
713.743.8152 (office)
713.204.9798 (cell)
mrcannon@uh.edu

Summer camp is a rite of passage for children, but it seldom looks like this. Yoga, spinning classes, salsa and hip hop dancing are on tap for middle school girls attending BOUNCE summer camp at the University of Houston. The week-long program teaches the importance of physical activity, healthy eating and positive body image.

“It’s our hope to change perceptions and behaviors about eating and physical activity, so that these young girls learn to make healthy choices,” said Norma Olvera, director of the program and associate professor in the UH Department of Health and Human Performance. “These are the years when the girls will develop habits that could follow them into adulthood. We want those habits to be good ones.”

This is the third year for BOUNCE, which stands for Behavior Opportunities Uniting Nutrition, Counseling and Exercise. The summer camp also features nutritionists and counselors who advise the girls on how to create healthy eating habits and how to develop healthy attitudes about goals, talents and body image.

While the camp is for girls, a portion of one day during the week is devoted to their moms. The time recognizes the influence mothers have in the nutritional choices for their families. Together, mom and daughter learn about healthy alternatives to fatty foods, ways to stay active…and a few new dance moves.

“It’s beautiful to see the mothers with their girls laughing and dancing and having fun,” said Olvera. “When they go home, they tell us they use what they’ve learned to try to stay active and healthy.”

For more information about BOUNCE, visit http://bounce.uh.edu/.

For more information about the UH Department of Health and Human Performance, visit www.hhp.uh.edu/.

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.