YMCAStarting this week at six locations across Austin, families can enroll for free in Mind, Body, Exercise, Do It, or MEND, a health and fitness program focused on childhood obesity and offered through the YMCA of Austin.

Schools including Galindo Elementary School at 3800 S. 2nd St. in Southwest Austin and Langford Elementary School at 2206 Blue Meadow Drive in Southeast Austin are offering the program. MEND focuses on healthy eating, regular physical activity and behavior changes, according to a YMCA news release. The program allows families to participate in a 10-week campaign tailored to holistically improve the health of families.

The spring session for Austin launched April 4. Parents must attend the sessions with children in order to participate. Children must be ages 7-13 and obese or overweight, according to the release.

MEND is also available at Baty Elementary School, East Communities YMCA, Andrews Elementary School and North Austin YMCA in English and Spanish. Grants from the St. David's Foundation funded the program at six Austin YMCAs.

More information is available at www.austinymca.org.