Jeannette Erving Cordor says she did not start out to become a fitness guru for children.

She just wanted to live longer than her mother, who died at 46.

“I realized the clock was ticking so I began educating myself about nutrition and fitness,” she says.

Now 43, Ms. Cordor says she began taking 30-minute daily walks. She also changed her diet to eliminate red meat and increase her intake of fruits and vegetables.

As she felt her own health improve, she says she wanted to spread the lessons she learned to others.

That was the inspiration for the nonprofit the Midlothian resident now runs — The Faces of HOPE — to promote healthy living. HOPE stands for Healthy Options for Personal Empowerment. She is the board chair and chief executive officer.

In an era when obesity is epidemic, she’s now on the front lines working to reverse the trends just like First Lady Michelle Obama.

Ms. Cordor and her 11-member staff, which includes her husband, Jeramin, focus on empowering overweight children and their families to become fit.

Her program, now based in the 8000 block of Midlothian Turnpike, combines education and fun activities, she says.

The goal: To enable young people and their families to take charge of their own health by assisting them to change the way they think about themselves, to gain the education they need about nutrition and healthy eating and to find out how enjoyable an active lifestyle can be.

Instead of angst and stress about weight, Ms. Cordor says the program surrounds participants with positive encouragement. The focus is more on changing behavior than on exercise. “If we can change their minds, the bodies will follow,” she says.

She says most of the children who come to The Faces of HOPE have received referrals from their pediatricians and health insurance companies.

The reason: Their weight is out of control, and they are at risk for chronic health problems, including heart disease and diabetes.

She cites the example of a teen who weighed 400 pounds and a 9-year-old who weighed 310 pounds. “All of the children who are referred” rank in the 95th percentile or higher in body mass index — a ratio of height to weight. The higher the BMI, the more obese.

More than half of those referred never show up or bow out quickly, she says.

“It’s a challenge,” she acknowledges. “Change is hard, and some people don’t want to change. It’s not the children so much as the parents. If they are not committed, it won’t happen.”

Those who stick to it come for two-hour sessions three days a week for up to 24 weeks, she says, to give the family lifestyle a fresh start.

“This is a long-term process. They didn’t put on the weight overnight, and they won’t take if off overnight. The most important thing is for them to develop the right mindset,” she says.

Meet Jeannette E. Cordor, this week’s Personality, a crusader against child obesity:

Place of birth: Kosciusko, Miss.

Current home: Chesterfield County.

Alma mater: Kosciusko High School.

Family: Husband, Jeramin Cordor; three children, including a freshman at Old Dominion University, a junior at Monacan High School; and a freshman at Cosby High School.

When The Faces of HOPE was founded: 2006.

HOPE stands for: Healthy Options for Personal Empowerment.

The Faces of HOPE’s mission: To educate, equip and empower children and their families to have a healthier lifestyle.

Number of participants in The Faces of HOPE: 154 families, 11 staff members, plus the eight dedicated board members who serve with me.

What The Faces of HOPE does for children: We provide the entire family with a safe non-judgmental place to get the knowledge needed to make healthier choices. We guide them through the process. We seek to change a family’s mindset toward health, which is 47 percent of the battle; provide nutritional education, which represents 45 percent of success; and help children participate in physical fitness or being active on purpose, which is 8 percent.

Why we chose this approach: This is our formula; not every expert would agree. However, we know what works here at The Faces of HOPE. Most of our families have generational health issues. The children feel if grandma had it, mother has it, then they will have diabetes or high blood pressure or high cholesterol. We want the children to know they can have a different health story from their elders. That’s why we help them change their mindset, teach them about nutrition and help them understand fitness can be fun.

How many people are served: Since January, 120 children.

Number of children referred to the program who didn’t follow up: 151.

Why children are referred: Their doctors and health insurance companies are worried about their health. Most of the children we work with have a body mass index — a ratio of height to weight — that puts them in the 95th percentile for unhealthy weight.

Why childhood obesity in America is so prevalent: There are so many factors you can’t identify one or two things.

Obesity in Virginia: 27.4 percent of adults overall and at least one in five children. Obesity rates are higher in the Richmond area, about 35 percent for adults.

Role government should play: The government is doing its job with education. I think there could be more communication about obesity and health.

Role parents should play: Parents hold the key in determining what is purchased and brought into the home, what gets eaten and what children learn about nutrition.

My formula for staying healthy: Live a purposeful life, surround yourself with good people, laugh often, love others, be mindful of what you eat and stay active.

What young people facing obesity need most: Motivation, role models, creativity and real information about what’s ahead if change doesn’t happen.

Favorite exercise: A long walk, with no music, just to clear my head.

Two words that best describe me: Passionate and loyal.

I am most motivated by: Change.

I am most discouraged by: Stagnation.

Person who influenced me the most: My sergeant parent who taught me that responsibility, leadership and perseverance matter.

Book that influenced me the most: ”The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren.

What I’m reading now: “Managing the Nonprofit Organization: Principles and Practices” by Peter F. Drucker.

If I’ve learned one thing in life, it is: Know it’s OK to be simply you.