New Program Looks to Curb Obesity, Boost Confidence

It's no secret that childhood obesity has become an epidemic in America.

But, with obesity rates rising, especially in underprivileged communities, one Easton resident is taking to action.

Karen Bosader will launch Project Boost as a nonprofit later this summer to help promote exercise and healthy living.

Project Boost will coincide with the grand opening of CrossFit Boost, a new crossfit gym Bosader has opened on Knapp Street in Brockton.

The non-profit organization will feature 45 minute to hour-long exercise sessions for underprivileged youth in the area.

"We’re passionate about being able to help kids," she said. "We wanted to be able to give them with crossfit not only the best health and physical aspects of it, but increase their self-esteem and confidence."

While the Project Boost program will be underway shortly, the new gym opened last month.

Bosader and business partner William Lexner decided to open the Brockton gym after working together at Crossfit 508 in Attleboro.

The Brockton location will be a good venue for Project Boost, Bosader said.

"There’s so many areas in Massachusetts now that we could have opened a cross-fit, but we chose to open it in Brockton because we wanted to set ourselves aside from regular crossfit and be able to offer this crossfit training to at-risk youth," she said.

The new program will be Bosader's newest venture in what has been years of dedication to similar causes. Healthy living has been important to her for a long time, she said.

"My mom was a nurse and she also battled a weight issue all of her life," she said. "It was very difficult for her and she actually ended up having a heart attack at 58 and passing away very suddenly. That’s driven me to be able to help other people and just get the word out that you need to be healthy and life is short."

Her message has been particularly geared to those who might not otherwise hear it.

She used her degree in nutrition work for the Massachusetts Women Infants and Children (Wic) nutrition program, working on grants and studying weight loss and obesity.

It was there that Bosader realized the need for more programs and health education, especially with budget cuts to many school-run programs and extracurricular activities

"About eight years ago there was that big push where obesity was becoming more than just a problem," she said. "It was becoming an epidemic and the Dept. of Public Health was starting to have their initiatives about helping these kids.

"The ability to have access to some of the programs out there is so limited."

In addition to crossfit training, she hopes to provide tutoring as part of the Project Boost training. She said research has found that children are more productive after exercise.

Between the exercise, tutoring and other educational features of the program, she hopes Project Boost provides a boost of confidence for those who need it most.

"It helps them build their confidence," she said. "It helps them to understand that they’re definitely safe there.  They can be there and they can be their own person and they’re competing against themselves and not competing against other people.

"It does a whole lot of things besides just getting them healthier and getting them to understand that physical activity doesn’t have to be just hard. It can be fun too."