Contemporary Nutrition 3rd Edition by Gordon Wardlaw, Anne Smith, Angela Collene

Exercise 3

Public Health Efforts to Combat Childhood Obesity
Major public health initiatives aim to counter the rapid rise in childhood obesity and related health conditions. Whether schoolbased, community-driven, or targeted at families, the overarching goals are to promote healthy eating habits and increased physical activity.
1. Find out what is going on in your area to combat childhood obesity. As a starting point, here are a few examples:
• We Can!™ (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition): http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov
• HealthCorps : www.healthcorps.net
• Action for Healthy Kids : www.actionforhealthykids.org
• The President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition: www.fitness.gov
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Imagine that you have been appointed to develop a public health campaign to decrease childhood obesity in your community.
2. What are the specific needs in your community (e.g., lack of safe space for physical activity, overabundance of fast-food outlets)?
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3. Who will be your target audience? Why?
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4. What activities will you undertake to reach your target audience? What will set your program apart from other efforts in your community?
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5. How will you define the success of your program? List two or more measurable objectives for your campaign.
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