Foundation Programming Overview

Project Overview: The National Childhood Obesity Foundation^® (^®) has devised a proactive out-reach foundation to address the national and international obesity crisis with a two-phased ecologically and scientifically based approach that targets both communities and individuals on an international basis {international meaning the inclusion of North & South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia} with a set of nutrition and physical activity health care education empowerment (informed decision-making) intervention programs. Such interventions when introduced and reinforced with some frequency to the pre-K and K-6 audiences and their gatekeepers {gatekeepers meaning parents/grandparents/ teachers/health professionals/other care-takers of children} will induce healthier eating and physical activity habits which in-turn will reduce the need or frequency for expensive healthcare medicines through pharmacology (development of type-2 diabetes, certain cancers, heart-disease, stroke, sleep apnea, chronic diseases, kidney stones, arthritis, etc.), surgery, or worse early mortality. Furthermore, the resulting reduction in the use of pharmacology to remedy or mask the multiple health issues of obesity will directly and positively effect the global environment in which we live.

The term "ecological" herein means the multiple levels of environmental factors that influence health behavior and choices of the pre-K and K-6 audience, and how these conceptual applications are woven into our experiential health education programs outlined below. 's^® educational empowerment intervention programs are specifically designed to target vulnerable groups, i.e., children, teens, and their gatekeepers, that are most susceptible to these environmental factors contributing to their obesity and/or being overweight. The term "ecological" also means being GREEN with the environment through the development of proper nutritional and physical activity choices and/or habits at the earliest stages and throughout life, thus reducing or negating the toxicological impact (manufacture and bio-waste) on the earth's environment through the use of pharmacology to remedy or mask obesity's multiple health issues.

Brief Problem Statement: Childhood obesity has mushroomed to fifteen percent of children and teens between the ages of six and nineteen, and even ten percent of those between the ages of two and five. Among U.S. adults (gatekeepers/parents), obesity has ballooned exponentially from forty-six percent to sixty-four percent of the population between 1980 and 2000. The debilitating effects of obesity are wide ranging and their onset begins early in life. Juvenile diabetes and cardiovascular diseases have been rising steadily since 1980. Some of the debilitating effects of obesity for our youth range from type-2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular disease, several forms of cancer, kidney stones, juvenile arthritis, and sleep apnea to many other related chronic diseases. These debilitating and chronic health effects from obesity have become the second leading cause of death among adults in the U.S. behind cancer. Based on current projections these debilitating and chronic health effects will become the leading cause of death in the U.S. if left unchecked within twelve years. Obesity, outside of specific genetic issues, is very manageable and in a majority of cases preventable. In fact, obesity will surpass smoking as the number one preventable disease in the U.S. and globally in the very near future. Many of these health behavior obesity issues are environmental in nature, and can be a combination of life-style, cultural, emotional (mental health care, self-image and eating disorders), economic, and geographic factors. Further complicating these health care issues is the environmental toxicity that arises from the manufacture and bio-waste of pharmaceuticals either prescribed or found over-the-counter to remedy or mask the multiple health issues both physical and psychological, as cited above, that arise from obesity in children and adults.

^® means: "Pan-Global Obesity Walk for Education and Research^®"

^SM means: "Teaching Health in Nutrition and Kinesiology^®"

Teaching Health in Nutrition & Kinesiology

Programming Overview: 's^® proposed project as briefly outlined herein, addresses the global obesity epidemic with the introduction of an ecological knowledge based health behavior empowerment alternatives presented continually and annually through its targeted educational intervention programs for pre-K and K-6 audiences and their gatekeepers (parents/guardians). The term "empowerment" as used in describing 's^® programs is to unleash the powerful use of the positive concept of "self-image" and "self determination" in the nutritional and physical activity choices made by individuals, families, and communities. These health care ecologically and scientifically based empowerment programs are conceptually designed for 's^® targeted audiences. Furthermore, this newly acquired ecological health behavior empowerment knowledge will directly GREEN the very environments we live in, namely our internal (body) and external (earth) environments by reducing the use of pharmaceuticals. The intended targeted audiences include local schools, communities, families, and individuals where the application of these "empowerment" programs would have the greatest affect in achieving the intended purpose of raising their health care knowledge and awareness in the importance of daily proper nutrition and physical activity.

Phases One & Two: To adequately address the complex issues surrounding the nutritional and physical activity decision-making process of young children, teens, and their gatekeepers (expecting parents, parents, grandparents, teachers, and day-care providers) ^® has devised and strategically divided into six targeted areas and two phases a proactive health care education program.

Phase One incorporates an incubator and national grass-roots ecologically and scientifically based nutrition and kinesiology education empowerment intervention approach: the ^® Health Care Education Event Tour; the ^® Health Educational Website Program ( ^SM Health Curriculum); and the ^® Health Education Internship Program. The purpose of these Phase One interlinking triad of programs is to maintain a constant, consistent, and focused health care intervention message and information stream to the most vulnerable groups afflicted by this national obesity crisis. The reach of these Phase One programs into the intended targeted audiences will be aided by the introduction of Alisha the Active^® and Henry the Healthy^® Sharks as animated characters and ^® advocates for healthier lifestyles for children. Furthermore, during this Phase the ^SM Curriculum shall be devised by selected members of the ^® Advisory Board to present for daily use understandable nutritional and physical activity health tips for age range specific toddlers and children (2-3. 4-5, 6-7, 8-10) incorporating the ^® health philosophy for parents, grandparents, teachers, and care-givers of children. Furthermore, the ^® health philosophy will teach the direct connection between a healthy body and healthier environment, and that by making wiser nutritional and physical activity choices as kids or gatekeepers will directly help GREEN the earth through less use of pharmaceuticals to combat obesity. Part of this healthcare teaching process will be accomplished in conjunction with Vector Entertainment, LLC within their on-line game "Vector City Racers". The ^® philosophy will be incorporated into the Vector City Racers on-line game in the form of questions for all participants to answer, creating a great learning environment while simultaneously having fun in accumulating game points. However, the true success of Phase One Tour and Curriculum Programming will depend on how well these empowerment intervention programs are funded and finely tuned to meet the real test of reaching these grass roots pre-K and K-6 audiences and their gatekeepers.

Phase Two incorporates an even broader ecologically and scientifically based national health care empowerment message approach: the ^® Health Care Education Communications Program; the ^® Future Health Care Scholarship Program; and the ^® Obesity Research Grant. Furthermore, Phase Two represents a concerted effort by ^® to address pre-K and K-6 obesity and overweight issues with the mainstream media, the food processing industry, academic and health care research institutions, and government policy-makers. All six ^® ^® health care empowerment programs are intended to be direct proactive ecological behavior modification education programs advocating healthy life-styles through various enlightened nutritional and physical activity awareness experiential methodologies.

Linkages between 's^® ^® Programming and the Problem:
's^® ^® ecologically and scientifically based health care education model empowerment intervention programs (Phase One and Two aspects: health care education tour, website, communications, internships, research, and scholarships) will create a direct and targeted experiential linkage between the very international, national and local community audiences that the obesity crisis is currently afflicting. To further solidify these two health care educational Phases are imbedded two animated characters named Alisha the Active^® and Henry the Healthy^® Sharks. These highly contemplated and wisely selected ^® healthcare message delivery mechanisms are well established and time tested marketing vehicles for reaching their intended target audiences. 's^® message of daily proper nutrition and physical activity as a positive life-long routine for long-term health (through the ecological health care behavior modification empowerment aspects of 's^® triad of Phase One and Two programs) are central to the Foundation's mission and vision.

Equally essential to establishing well-grounded message delivery vehicles is the creation of current and pertinent substantive content within that health message. To meet this challenge of creating an ecological and scientific linkage between the problem and the target audiences, ^® has developed and will continue to develop a nationally and internationally recognized professional Advisory Board. The Advisory Board consists of both working affiliations and relationships with nationally and internationally recognized professionals from medicine, psychology, nutrition and human anatomy research, kinesiology, education, children's media, business, and governmental agencies. Furthermore, ^® has strategically and systematically addressed the global aspects of childhood obesity by ensuring that the Advisory Board represents members from the international healthcare community working as clinicians or academic researchers in the North America., the E.U., Australia, or in other parts of the globe. Countries currently represented by members of the ^® Advisory Board include: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Columbia, England, France, Germany, India, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Korea, New Zealand, Peru, Poland, Spain, The Netherlands and the United States of America. ^® Advisory Board member domestic and international university affiliations include: Harvard University; Boston College; Cornell University; Duke University; Georgetown University; Johns Hopkins University, Tulane University; University of California at Los Angeles; Northwestern University; Wake Forest University; University of Virginia; University of North Carolina; University of Michigan; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; University of Southern California; University of California at San Diego; University of Tennessee; University of Miami; University of Missouri; University of Utah; University of Arizona; Colorado University; Baylor University; Oregon State University; Louisiana State University; University of San Diego; University of Oregon; Florida State University; Western Washington University; University of South Florida Medical School; Oxford University (Brooks College) {UK}; Trinity College {IRE}; University of Bristol {UK}; Imperial College of Medicine {UK}; University of Liverpool {UK}; University of Vienna {AUS}: University of Amsterdam {NED}; Landspitalinn National University Hospital {ICD}; University of Navarra {ESP}; University of Brussels {BEL}; University of Paderborn {DEU}; McGill University {Canada}; the University of Western Ontario {Canada}; Queens University, School of Medicine {Canada}; University of Melbourne {AUS}; University of Adelaide {AUS}; University of Western Australia {AUS}; and the University of Auckland {NZ}. Please visit this page to read what our Advisory Board members are saying about the planned ^® ^® Programming and ^SM Curriculum.

Non-university member affiliations include: the National Association of State Boards of Education; the Center for Disease Control; the National Education Association, the National Association for the Education of Young Children; GenerationOn (Points of Light Foundation); the National Catholic Educational Association; National Head Start Program; Bright Horizons; KinderCare; the Boys & Girls Club of America; America SCORES; International Youth Foundation; Boy Scouts of America; Channel One in the Classroom; Catholic Charities; Volunteers of America; Massachusetts General Hospital; University of Melbourne Obesity Consortium; Iuventum; German & Japanese Youth Society; and other related nationally and internationally recognized professional health and children and young teen education organizations.

These highly regarded affiliations and relationships are to ensure that the Foundation's intended scientifically and ecologically based ^® health education programs and ^SM curriculum are in concert with the current thinking from the latest research by the above university healthcare organizations. Furthermore, it is the Foundation's mission and vision to educate, energize, and capture the attention of the intended target pre-K and K-6 audiences and their gatekeepers with current, well-grounded, and pertinent nutrition and physical activity information.