Steps to a Healthier Lifestyle
An Interactive Family Exhibit
This exhibit is now closed. It was on view at the Newark Museum from Novembe 2011 to June 2015. It will open at the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton, NJ, beginning July 18, 2015.
The Newark Museum's popular family exhibit explores issues of nutrition and exercise, and provide an interactive "tool kit" for disease prevention and healthy behavior. The exhibit's interactive components, animation and exercise challenges helps visitors appreciate that small incremental changes in good nutrition and activity can lead to a healthier lifestyle.
Childhood obesity is reaching epidemic proportions. More than one-third of all children living in the United States today are considered overweight or obese. The average American is 17 pounds over weight and children gain on average six extra, unhealthy pounds each year. As a result, the current generation may be the first generation in history to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.
Generation Fit supports First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" national initiative to raise a healthier generation of kids.
- Calorie Crank—Learn how much energy is required to burn calories consumed through food.
- Body Scan—See the relationship between healthy/unhealthy individuals and nutrition and exercise.
- Appetite Circuit Animation—Find out how the appetite circuit works, how we are wired to eat and why we easily gain weight.
- Food Engineering Interactive—Smells and tastes are engineered to make us eat more junk food!
- Healthy Meal Interactive—Construct a delicious and nutritious meal.
- "Exertainment"—Combine video games with exercise challenges.
- FIT Center—Try out simple exercise equipment geared at promoting the three essentials fo good exercise; frequency, intensity, time.
- Social Network—Stay connected with the exhibit and receive health recommendations and strategies, as well as invitations to upcoming related programs.