Alonzo Mourning and Dr. Oz Team Up in Overtown To Fight Childhood Obesity

Oz told kids that the most precious, valuable thing they were ever given was their body

At the Overtown Youth Center Friday afternoon Alonzo Mourning shot hoops with Dr. Oz.

"He's one of my favorite people because he heals, helps and educates people," said Mourning, the former Miami Heat star.

His teammate for the afternoon, Dr. Mehmet Oz, delivered a powerful message to kids who come to the afterschool program at the center.

"At the end of the day, the most precious, the most valuable thing you were ever given was your body, and if you can control your body, you can change the world outside of it," the popular practitioner said.

He is the cofounder of HealthCorps, a program to fight childhood obesity. Donations from the Hollo Foundation helped bring it to Miami.

"A lot of the children living in low socioeconomic areas, that's not emphasized enough, and a lot of these kids rely on bag foods and sodas and things of that nature," Mourning said.

Young volunteers, like in the Peace Corps, teach students about healthy eating and exercise. On Friday, Oz gave them some food for thought.

"When you eat a piece of white bread is that really like having a candy bar? It is. If you have a soft drink does that increase your chances of you getting heavy? It does," Oz told the crowd of kids who were intently listening. He also told them about the importance of developing mental resilience.

HealthCorps is also in 54 high schools across the country, and two of them are in Miami  – Booker T. Washington and Hialeah High.

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