ALBANY , Georgia ( CNN ) -- Pamela Green-Jackson did n't learn until after her brother 's funeral that doctors had warned him his weight could cost him his life . Pamela Green-Jackson encourages a student in the Youth Becoming Healthy program . Bernard Green weighed 427 pounds when he died in 2004 . He was 43 years old . `` He did n't have to die , '' said Green-Jackson . `` I promised myself that I would do whatever I could to make sure another child did n't suffer like he did . '' Turning her pain into action , Green-Jackson quit her job and procured $ 30,000 in grants to build a fitness center in a local middle school . Today , Youth Becoming Healthy ( YBH ) has facilities in six middle schools and one elementary school in Albany and provides free fitness and nutrition education to about 350 students a year . Youths work one-on-one after school with personal trainers and nutritionists who help them get on the right track . To keep young people engaged and fit , YBH offers classes such as martial arts , hip-hop dance and a walking club . Green-Jackson says her group allows the children to set their own goals . `` If we instill these habits in them early , they will grow up to become healthier adults , '' said Green-Jackson , 43 . `` That 's what this is really all about -- saving the lives of children . '' Do you know a hero ? Nominations are open at CNN.com/Heroes . Since 2004 , YBH has helped about 4,000 youth lose thousands of pounds . Green-Jackson also successfully campaigned to have schools provide healthier options in their cafeterias and vending machines . Jasmine Warren has reaped the benefits of Green-Jackson 's efforts . Warren said that by age 11 , she had high blood pressure , a heart murmur and problems with her cholesterol . `` I felt bad about myself . People used to talk about me . ... 'Oh , she got too much weight . ' `` Warren , now 15 , has lost 37 pounds . She credits her brighter future to the program . `` Pamela saved me from going to an early grave , '' said Warren . Watch how Warren 's life changed through Green-Jackson 's program » . YBH targets children from low-income families . `` One in three children in this community is affected by childhood obesity because of poverty , lack of education and access to resources , '' said Green-Jackson , adding that dangerous neighborhoods are also a major obstacle . `` Kids do n't go out and play as much anymore because of the gangs and the crime . It is unsafe . '' Georgia has the third-highest rate of obese and overweight youths in the nation , with 37.3 percent of its children falling into those categories , according to a recent report from the Trust for America 's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation . ( Mississippi and Arkansas rank one and two , respectively . ) This summer , the group is offering camp for students with high-risk health issues , such as heart problems , kidney disease , high blood pressure and high cholesterol . `` A number of kids have [ these issues ] . That is unheard of , '' said Green-Jackson . `` These children are [ given ] prognoses that they wo n't live to 21 years old . That is something we are trying to correct through this program . '' At nearly 400 pounds , every day is a struggle for 13-year-old Malik Thomas . `` It 's not easy carrying around all of this weight . I wanted to get healthy and fit , '' said Thomas , one of 25 children enrolled in YBH 's summer program . Green-Jackson 's program is giving Thomas hope for a healthier future . He 's beginning to lose weight , and his endurance has improved . `` Miss Pamela is my hero , because she 's helping me do things that I never thought I can do , '' he said . `` It feels great . '' Watch Green-Jackson 's program in action » . Green-Jackson believes the program will help Thomas by introducing him to other young people who share his health problems . `` They motivate each other , '' she said . `` This program is encouraging him to continue beyond the summer . '' YBH is mostly funded through donations , but Green-Jackson also spends a large amount of her own savings each year to keep the program running . She says she refuses to rest until the children 's healthy futures are secured . `` I want to have YBH in every school in the nation . '' Want to get involved ? Check out Youth Becoming Healthy and see how to help .
Youth Becoming Healthy began crusade for youth fitness after her obese brother died . Youth Becoming Healthy teaches middle schoolers about exercise and nutrition . The organization has helped One children since the summer . Do you know a hero ? Nominations are open at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation .