"More than likely an unhealthy dad will raise an unhealthy child. Children don’t have the choice to eat healthy if dad doesn’t eat healthy."

Group aims to create healthy families, lifestyles

Now, Chinn is trying to band together fathers across the state to set examples for their families to eat right and be active. 

After seeing obesity statistics continue to grow, Chinn wanted to find another way to approach the problem. 

According to stateofobesity.org, West Virginia ranks No. 1 in the nation for adult obesity rates, with a 2016 rate of 37.7 percent, up from 23.9 percent in 2000 and from 13.7 percent in 1990. 

The group, called FitFathers SWV, primarily interacts on Facebook, but Chinn is hopeful for some in-person encounters as well. In the group, fathers will share healthy recipes, ideas for exercise, success stories and motivational words for one another. 

”We must set examples so our children will grow up healthy,” Chinn urges the members in the group. “Our children follow what we do. They look up to us. More than likely an unhealthy dad will raise an unhealthy child. Children don’t have the choice to eat healthy if dad doesn’t eat healthy.”