Dr. Ashton said that each of the 130 sophomores who are participating were given a physical exam at the onset of the program in September. They completed a series of questionnaires, and each girl had her body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, glucose, lipids and waist circumference recorded. The girls workout on an exercise circuit using equipment three times each week. The other two days, there are nutrition and health classes and ten minutes of hip-hop dancing. A test kitchen is in place for food demos and "hands-on" learning. Dr. Ashton said the students will be evaluated on all measures at three months and six months from the start of the program. Self-esteem, physical activity and nutrition levels will then be assessed once annually until graduation from high school to measure stability of changes. All participants will be tracked and evaluated once annually until graduation from high school.

"We are very fortunate to have received these grants," says Bonnie Arkus, Executive Director of the Women's Heart Foundation, "because it's time for women to be aware of heart disease risk factors, even at the tender age of adolescence, when health habits are formed that carry us through our lifetime." she said..

Teen Esteem is a program of the Women's Heart Foundation that is being implemented with the health study in partnership with the Rutgers University Department of Nursing, and the Youth Services Program and Health and Physical Education Departments at Trenton Central High School.

The Women's Heart Foundation is a public-supported charity dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for women with heart disease. For more information about the Teen Esteem program, go to http://www.womensheart.org. You may contact WHF by email: barkus@womensheart.org or wr
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Contact: Bonnie Arkus
barkus@womensheartfoundaiton.org
609-771-9600
Womens Heart Foundation
18-Nov-2004