News from Community Health Care Association of New York State

For more information contact: Libby Post, 518-438-2826, cell: 518-857-6788, lpost@commservices.net

We Can Prevent Childhood Obesity in NY

Quinn and Rivera Expected at June 30th Press Conference

NY, NY (06/27/2008; 1214)(readMedia)-- The Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS) and the Children's Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) have teamed with the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) We Can!^TM program to help New York City families adopt healthier lifestyle habits to maintain a healthy weight. We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition) is a national education program to help prevent overweight in youth ages 8-13.

Details on this exciting community childhood obesity prevention partnership will be shared on Monday, June 30. The NIH joins the CHCANYS and CMOM at their press conference taking place at CMOM which is located in The Tisch Building, 212 West 83rd Street (Between Broadway & Amsterdam) at 9:00 a.m. City Council President Christine Quinn and City Council Majority Leader and Chair of the Health Committee Joel Rivera are expected to attend.

The press conference will kick off a day-long program that introduces the We Can! program to New York City community health centers. CHCANYS is tackling childhood obesity by implementing the evidence-based We Can! program, which includes three curricula for youth and a parents' program.

"This unique collaboration brings together clinicians, educators and community healthcare workers to provide New York City parents and children with consistent and complementary messages about healthy eating, incorporating physical activity into children's lives, and reducing screen time," said Elizabeth Swain, CHCANYS' CEO.

Citywide weight gain has totaled more than 10 million pounds in just two years. Over the past three decades, the nationwide childhood obesity rate has more than tripled for children aged 6-11 and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and has increased among children younger than 5 years.

In a population-based sample, approximately 60 percent of obese children aged 5 to 10 years had at least one cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor and 25 percent had two or more CVD risk factors. Taken together, these and other consequences of overweight and obesity may reduce overall adult life expectancy, potentially reversing the improved life expectancy trend achieved over the past century.

We Can! is unique among existing youth obesity-prevention initiatives in its focus on reaching parents and families as a primary group for influencing young people. The program offers flexible, turn-key resources for parents, caregivers, and community organizations, which are available at http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov. The program is now underway in more than 800 community sites in all 50 states and 10 countries.

The free training takes place at CMOM from 8:30AM to 3:30 PM but participants must register at www.chcanys.org.

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