ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Forget the flu; there's a fever coming to Minnesota this February, and more than 240,000 elementary school students are about to jump on board an epidemic of fun with fruits, vegetables, and fitness. Fitness Fever, a month-long school-based program, teaches children to take ownership of their health with fun ways to eat right and stay active.

"Fitness Fever helps schools and families teach good nutrition and exercise habits, so students can begin to incorporate them into their everyday lives," said Dr. James Woodburn, medical director for Blue Cross. "Schools have come up with some incredibly creative activities to make nutrition and exercise fun, including taste tests, family fitness days, and more."

In its eighth year, Fitness Fever is offered free to schools by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross), the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning and the Minnesota Service Cooperatives.

The Fitness Fever program includes colorful journals for each student to record daily physical activity and servings of fruits and vegetables while they have fun with puzzles, games and other fun ways to find out about fitness; guides for students to take home and involve their families; and tips for physical educators and food service providers to implement the program into their curriculum.

The Fitness Fever program has the highest participation of any health promotion program in Minnesota schools, representing two-thirds of Minnesota's elementary schools. Many teachers use the program to meet Minnesota Graduation Standards and the physical education and lifetime fitness area.

One teacher said about the program, "Taking ownership of their eating and activity habits through journaling has been powerful for the kids. They were really surprised at what they were eating." Another added "My students look forward to Fitness Fever every year. I count on using it as part of my Health/P.E. curriculum."

A survey of last year's participants showed that more than three-fourths of teachers report an increase in students' awareness of healthy eating and regular physical activity, and about 40 percent see improvements in healthy eating or physical activity as a result.

Fitness Fever is receiving increasing national attention for its success in developing healthy behaviors in children and families. The program has been praised by the U.S. Surgeon General and featured by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Coordinating Committee on School Health, and the Pediatric Academic Societies of America.

Copies of the student journal, titled "Jump on Board," with puzzles, games and other fun activities, recipes using fruits and vegetables, tips for getting physically active are available by calling the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Community Line at 1-800-793-6931 or 651-662-6299.

More information on Fitness Fever can be found at www.fitnessfever.com .

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota's first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. A not-for-profit, taxable organization, Blue Cross is the largest health plan based in Minnesota, covering 2.4 million members in Minnesota and nationally through its health plans or plans administered by its affiliated companies. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago.