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Dr. Greenberg added, "Students who are overweight are losing an average of eight pounds a semester. More importantly, through proper exercise and nutrition, children who are underweight are gaining an average of two pounds a semester."

It's all about finding the perfect blend between fun and fitness which is something everyone can smile about.

This Wellness program has been implemented in seven middle schools and 38 high schools throughout Miami, though they do plan to expand the program to other schools in the upcoming years, which hopefully will serve as a model for other schools throughout the country.

The award today was presented by former President Bill Clinton at the Healthy Schools Forum in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Across the nation, hundreds of schools have participated in the Healthy Schools Program; an initiative of the Alliance and a joint venture of the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association.

In the U.S., 12-million children and teens are obese and more than 23-million are either overweight or obese. Over the past 40 years, the obesity rate for children ages 6 to 11 has more than quadrupled from 4.2 to 17 percent; for adolescents from ages 12 to 19 years of age, the rate has tripled from 4.6 to 17.6 percent.

The Healthy Schools Program plans to provide hands on help to 8-thousand schools by 2010. The program takes a comprehensive approach by helping schools improve access to healthier foods; increase both physical education and physical activity opportunities before, during and after the school day; enhance nutrition education; and establish staff wellness programs.