Sam, a 19-year-old with Down syndrome, struggles to stay fit and healthy, despite an active schedule that includes yoga, bowling, swimming, and drama.  At 5’6”, he weighs about 190 pounds and while he likes to stay active, Sam has health challenges that make this difficult – his poor vision makes him worry about his balance, and his flat feet make running difficult. When he was 15, Sam’s parents saw that he was becoming overweight and enrolled him in Health U., a program created by an interdisciplinary research team at the University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolEunice Kennedy Shriver Center.  There Sam learned about the importance of fitness and how to prepare and eat healthy foods. Four years later, Sam’s weight is stable and he has found a variety of ways to stay active, although it’s not always easy for him to put the dietary lessons into practice. “I love eating junk food,” he says. “I want to make good choices like eating bananas, grapes, strawberries, broccoli and celery. My mom makes me eat salad. It’s not my favorite at all.” Sam sometimes calls his mother the “food police,” but he offers sound advice to other young people with special needs. “I would tell them to stay healthy and stay strong and stay active,” he says. “Tell them to exercise and work out with me and put their fears aside.”