More than half of Lyman Hall Elementary School's third-graders say they eat an apple each day to keep the doctor away.

The third-graders raised their hands Monday morning as Hall County's Sunshine Seniors asked questions about healthy eating and exercising.

"Children don't get out and run like they used to. You sit around the house and play your video games," Gainesville resident Elizabeth Westbrooks said with a laugh. "But the goal here is to get you kids to eat healthy and exercise, right?"

Childhood obesity rates have tripled across the country in the past three decades, with one in three children measured as overweight or obese. One-third of children born after 2000 likely will experience diabetes and face heart disease, high blood pressure and asthma.

The Sunshine Seniors, which started building wheelchair ramps around Hall County nine years ago, hosts a fruit and vegetable stand outside of the Hall County Health Department each summer. The women also decided to visit Gainesville and Hall County schools this year to give tips to stop childhood obesity.

"Don't eat all that other junk," Westbrooks said about sodas, sweet snacks and fried foods. "When we were young, we ate cornbread, beans and cole slaw, and we turned out fine. You'll be fine."

Westbrooks presented a variety of healthy foods as she talked about food groups, and Kathleen Bonds discussed healthy breakfast options, such as bran cereal, oatmeal and apples.

"Potatoes are good, but please don't put them in that grease," Westbrooks added, holding up a potato and sweet potato. "Tell your parents that you want this, not fries. I've noticed that some schools are getting away from fries and starting to serve sweet potatoes, which is much better."

Betty Hopkins demonstrated several easy recipes, including healthy snacking.

"When you get home, I know you eat a snack, so let's do something healthy instead of something greasy," Hopkins said as she created a sandwich with homemade apple spread. "I bet you know how to make a grilled cheese, but did you know you can use fruit the same way?"

Hopkins, dubbed "The Apple Lady," showed the students how to use apples to make preserves, jelly, dried fruit snacks and apple relish.

The women also talked about healthy cooking practices, diabetes and First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" initiative to get kids off the couch.

The national initiative mirrors statewide programs, such as Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle's Healthy Kids Challenge and the Department of Education's Fitnessgram program, which Hall County Schools are now piloting.

Obama's site gives weekly recipe ideas and features a local park and playground locator.

"Just move. You can run or walk, but just do it," Westbrooks said. "Don't just look at the TV all day and be sleepy. You need to be outside running and taking charge of your own health."

Obama's site particularly speaks to the lifestyle changes that have contributed to the shocking increase in childhood obesity — busy parents who stop for fast food meals, use vehicle transportation instead of walking and struggle with portion sizes. Children also consume more sodas, sweets and snacks than in past years and spend more than seven hours per day watching TV, using cell phones and computers, and playing video games.

"If students aren't healthy, they're not going to learn as well, and we need to teach them that as well as the other areas," said Veronica Grizzle, a Lyman Hall assistant principal who invited the Sunshine Seniors to speak. "We try to address all of the students' needs, and healthy eating and exercising are some of the basics they need to learn throughout their lives."