The next program starts in early September 2026
AUGUST 26, 2026 — In early September, the YMCA will start an affordable program for families to help their kids build habits to grow up healthy. The Anchorage YMCA will offer the program from Sept. 8, 2026, through Feb. 2, 2027. It will be provided at the YMCA at 5353 Lake Otis Parkway.
Anchorage YMCA started this Healthy Weight and Your Child program because staff saw families needed help to improve physical activity and nutrition, said Erin Widener, the YMCA Community Health Director. With Widener’s initiative, the YMCA built a teaching team that leads the program.
Over the past two years of offering the program, YMCA staff saw participating children and parents gain more confidence to be active. Many participants joined additional programs to continue to be active, Widener said.
“Our families have walked away with greater knowledge on healthier foods, new and different activities to try, and an overall healthier attitude,” she said. YMCA staff also saw significant improvement in participating children's overall body composition.
The YMCA offers the program at no cost to YMCA members. If families want to join but aren’t members yet, that’s not a problem. The YMCA will work with interested families to sign up for a membership at a reduced cost. Enrolled families will be able to keep that reduced-cost membership after the program ends.
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Children and parents attend the program together
The YMCA’s program is open to children who are 7-13 years old who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) in the 95th percentile or higher. The child also needs to receive approval from a doctor or other health care provider to participate in physical activity. One parent or another adult caregiver must attend all sessions with the child. The YMCA does offer an online option for families when they are out of town, on vacation, or sick. The YMCA provides a healthy light meal at every session.
Empowering the whole family helps create long-term health changes for everyone – children and parents, Widener said. Parents are the ones who buy the groceries and often decide how to spend time, including time being active. The program focuses on improving awareness of healthy eating, physical activity, and behavior change that can improve health for a lifetime.
Families focus on nutrition, activity, and meeting health goals
Throughout the program, a child and their parent or caregiver will attend 25 group sessions from 5:30-7:30 p.m. every Tuesday and some Thursdays. During the first hour of each session, two instructors will meet with all of the children and parents together. They will share information and support for choosing healthy foods and drinks, focusing on portion sizes, reading food labels, and being active. The trained staff will help children and parents set family health goals and stay motivated to meet them.
During the second hour of each session, children will work with a trained staff member to learn fun and engaging ways to be active. That could be learning how to lift weights, swim in the pool, and participate in other physical activities. Meanwhile, parents or caregivers will remain with another staff member to continue their own discussion and learning sessions. Children and parents reunite in the final half hour. The kids teach their parents the activities they practiced. That helps the family enjoy these activities together later.
Learn more and find other resources statewide
Click the button below to learn more about this YMCA program for families in the Anchorage area. You also can contact Andrea Arts, Associate Health and Wellness Director, to enroll at 907-563-3211, ext. 111, or email andrea@ymcaalaska.org.
Families living outside the Anchorage area can find helpful resources year-round to support increased physical activity and choosing healthier foods and drinks. You can read more about those resources below.
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