Here in Austin, one in three kindergarteners is overweight or obese. Experts say statistics involving children facing weight problems and issues like diabetes and heart disease are especially high in the Hispanic community.
Now there's a new program that's getting kids excited about sports, and ultimately, helping them lead healthier lives.
This Saturday, hundreds of kids were at the Toney Burger Center in South Austin, jumping rope, rolling across the floor, and taking part in a tug of war.
It's a lesson in fitness aimed toward Austin's Hispanic community.
"Half of our kids in Austin come from Spanish-speaking households and we want to teach their families how to be active and fit," Sylvia Acevedo of Fitness Feria said.
"And we also know that they tend to be more obese and to have issues with diabetes," she said.
It's called Fitness Feria, and the more than 150 health experts and organizations involved say it's a way to promote better understanding of the U.S. sports and fitness system so Hispanic families can become healthier.
It's the first expo of its kind in Austin and showcases volleyball, cycling, karate and many more activities for everyone from babies to big kids, and their parents.
"We've really structured this so the parents are involved in every step, so that they learn what their children should be doing at different ages," Acevedo said.
It's a lesson parent Monica Williams knows well.
"This is really important to the community, especially the Hispanic community, to come out and be a part of," she said.
Williams is looking for different activities to get her son Samuel involved in so he can keep moving throughout the year. And she hopes other parents will do the same for their kids, and bring fitness to the forefront of their daily lives.
"They know how to do it, and we know how to do it, but it's to encourage them that the community is here to support you. We all feel like it's important and we're going to do it together," Williams said.
