At a recent visit to my alma matter I felt like I was in a scene from "Blast from the Past" (you know, the movie where the family stayed in a bomb shelter for over 30 years).

My school was one of Dade's premier schools back then--today not a glimpse of its former glory is visible. It's fenced in, graffiti adorns the walls, and the hallways were filthy and occupied by caged in vending machines.

What an unprecedented surprise: vending machines full of junk food! What a difference a quarter of a century makes! Whatever happened to the balanced diet taught in health class?!

Today's children are growing up eating fast foods (soda, pizza, greasy burgers, fries, cookies, candy and chips). These foods are refined, processed, hydrogenated fatty foods that are full of empty calories, and have replaced America's past healthy diet.

We have become the worlds most overfed yet undernurished nation. This is partly due to the hectic, modern lifestyle of today's working parents.

Being in the mist of the "Jetsons" technology era, computers, video games, 100 plus TV channels, and video stores hasn't helped things any.

Soon we won't even have to walk from the parking lot to the mall. We'll be able to buy everything without leaving our homes, by pressing a key via the internet.

This lifestyle is turning our children into couch potatoes with little time or interest in playing or participating in sports. The results of this is that the maladies that were exclusively for adults in the past are now affecting our children in epidemic proportions: high cholesterol, obesity, high blood pressure and stress related illnesses. What is a parent to do?

Have no fear, at Anta's Fitness and Self Defense we have developed a martial arts based child development program, which will educate our students and enforce the benefits of self discipline, fitness, and proper nutrition.

The objective of this program is to help the child achieve the ability to stick to goals, not give up, build high self-esteem, determination, and to encourage them to excel in life.

Our certified fitness and martial arts instructors train children in the skills that teach them to stay fit for a lifetime (and you thought that martial arts were just for self-defense). We believe as the ancient Greeks did in developing a sound mind and body.

History repeats itself: just as two years ago we initiated the first kickboxing aerobics program in the West Miami Dade area, at the Doral Park Country Club, we are extremely excited in being the first to introduce Tai Bo Kids in South Florida.

We predict that just as Tae Bo became the future of fitness, Bill Blanks' Tae Bo Youth will transform the wellness of America's children. Tai Bo Kids is an offspring of our adults fitness kickboxing program.

Placing a special emphasis on the safety of the soft tissue of our growing children, cross training with Tai Bo Kids will enhance all other sporting activities and even your child's martial arts skills.

This workout will enhance speed, endurance, and coordination, which are great for off season training. Yet it is self-paced for the junior Bill Gates or the otherwise sedentary kid.

Children will have fun as they kick and punch to pulsating music, while burning more calories than any other aerobic workout, all within a non-competitive atmosphere. Our certified instructors will then take them through calistenics, stretching, and finish off with Chi Gong (Breathing Exercises).

This will help children develop the four aspects of optimum fitness cardio vascular endurance, flexibility, muscular endurance, and low body fat composition.

We will even motivate your child to enjoy fitness and educate them in proper eating habits.

But remember, it is your job to lead by example. Change your eating habits and begin a family fitness program. We might not be able to turn back time and to regain the past glory of my high school, but we can surely help shape the destiny of our children who are our future world leaders, through proper nutrition and exercise.

Julio G. Anta is a certified black belt instructor, personal trainer, fitness kickboxing instructor, and is the head instructor at Anta's Fitness and Self Defense and Everglades Elementary School. To contact them about any fitness questions you might have call 305 599 3649.