By the time Texas Rangers pitcher Derek Holland addressed fifth graders at Dunn Elementary on Monday, they had already gotten the full 411 on healthy living from medical center personnel, Arlington firefighters and Rangers Captain, the Rangers bumbling mascot and community pitchman.

Holland's appearance was key. What he did in roughly a short period of time was put a celebrity face on the rather unpopular notion (at least among this group) that making fast food a common eating habit is probably not a very good one.

"What you put in your body comes out of your body in terms of performance," said Holland. "So, I have to say no to the burgers."

Among these fifth graders, to bypass a Big Mac, fries and soft drink is akin to tween age blasphemy, but that's the idea surrounding the tough love approach of the MCA Fitness All-Stars Health and Fitness program.

This is the ongoing partnership between the Texas Rangers Foundation and the Medical Center of Arlington, which creates these fitness-themed learning aids for Arlington ISD fifth graders with a round of events that makes various stops at Arlington schools to encourage physical activity and healthy living.

They execute this with a sly mixture of entertainment and edutainment designed specifically for that age group, whose habits (hopefully good ones) must be solidified before heading off to junior high school. While Rangers Captain is playing baseball, sort of, with firefighters by trying to hit a cabbage with a corny dog, it is explained that if one had a choice between the two, the cabbage would do the better far better than a corny dog.

Firefighter Matt Philson spoke of the rigors his profession must endure in order to be fit enough perform his everyday duties.

"For us, being fit means the ability to save lives," he told the students. "So being in the best of shape is no option for us. We have to do it."

MCA's Physical Therapist Assistant Patty Fearka hosted a nutritional game with the students who were told of the right and wrong items to eat. She then quizzed them as some of those different items were held up on placards in front of them. Vegetables, good. Pizza, not so much.

"Kids don't necessarily like hearing about how they really should eliminate, or at least limit considerably, fatty foods," Fearka said. "But getting them to turn around their eating habits is important for this age. You want to start them on the right road as they get into high school and become adults. You want it to be a lifestyle, not something they have to struggle to do."