By Sarah Morgan Johnson
As he watched childhood obesity rates escalate in the United States, Grant Adams, CRNP, PNP-C (MSN 2021), was compelled to do his part in addressing this growing issue in Birmingham, Ala. Grant and his wife Bentley Adams, CRNP (MSN 2021), founded KidFit, a nonprofit created to inspire children to develop healthy lifestyle habits through accessible fitness and nutrition programs.
Both are alumni of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing’s Master of Science in Nursing Program. Grant is a graduate of the Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Specialty track and Bentley is a graduate of the Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Specialty track.
Grant’s undergraduate degree is in kinesiology, and he currently works as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at an outpatient children’s diabetes clinic in Birmingham. Starting KidFit and providing children with fitness resources has been a long-time dream of his.
“I have a heart for kids and have realized that childhood obesity is real and is a struggle for many kids. I wanted to give them an outlet and incorporate health and wellness for them,” Grant said. “We set them up on such a different trajectory if we can capitalize on those youthful years when a kid should be playing, exercising and moving. In today’s environment, kids are not doing that.”
KidFit partners with local pediatricians and schools to provide qualifying children with free fitness “kits” and 30-day challenges. Each kit includes a resistance band and a jump rope, and the 30-day challenge includes movement series for accessible, at-home exercises as well as nutrition and lifestyle adjustments.
Providing free resources is a priority for Grant and Bentley, as it allows them to work with children who may not have the means to pay for fitness programs.
“We don’t feel like families should have to pay bucket loads of money to make sure their kids are healthy. We have kidsyou want the best for your kids, you want them to be as successful as possible,” Bentley said.
Grant and Bentley designed the fitness challenges to feel accessible to children struggling with weight management. Rather than overwhelming them, they hope the 30-day challenges will make movement feel approachable and fun.
“You never want to make somebody feel unworthy or less than because they’re overweight, but at the same time, you want them to see how much better they might feel just from moving,” Bentley said. “If you can get somebody to move their body for even 10 minutes, they will be able to sense the change.”
KidFit’s programming also addresses mental and emotional well-being, encouraging children to implement mindfulness practices like journaling and making connections with their caregivers. As an advanced practice provider in psychiatry at UAB, Bentley is well versed in the mental and emotional benefits of a healthy and active lifestyle.
“I know how health and wellness impacts the lifespan. If you don’t have foundations that start in childhood and in your early years, it’s really hard to make changes as an adult,” Bentley said. “As a child I was diagnosed with OCD and realized how helpful fitness was for my anxiety. It’s very clear how moving your body affects your mental well-being.”
Looking to the future, Grant and Bentley hope to create a model for addressing childhood obesity that can be reproduced nationwide. They feel the fight against childhood obesity is not one to be fought alone and welcome collaboration with pediatricians, schools and community partners.
“What I’ve realized is everyone is trying to run this race independently. I feel like in working with children who suffer from obesity or being overweight, everything is siloed. We want to bring people together and create some synergy around this epidemic we’re seeing,” Grant said.
To learn more visit their website, teamkidfit.com.
