Pediatrics in the community: ballroom dance for L.I.F.E.: mad hot community pediatrics.

1. Evan Fieldston, MD 1. Pediatric Residency Program The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pa 1. C. Andrew Aligne, MD 1. Co-Director, Pediatric Links to the Community Program University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry Rochester, NY Reducing childhood obesity is a national health priority. (1)(2) After seeing the film Mad Hot Ballroom in 2005, Dr Evan Fieldston, then a resident at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, thought that a ballroom dance program in the schools could increase physical activity for disadvantaged children and provide an opening for health education. A team of nine third-year residents led the effort. Each resident made developing the program his or her advocacy-month project so they could implement it longitudinally. Each Thursday, a ballroom dance instructor and one or two residents visited Francis Scott Key public school for about 1 hour. Residents taught a variety of health topics, ranging from asthma to nutrition. The …