BREAKING NEWS
CENTRAL FLORIDA, USA (Nov. 6, 2011) – The Reduce Obesity in Central Florida Kids program has received a grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation to continue its efforts in Central Florida to fight childhood obesity.
Formed in 2009 with seed funding from the foundation, the program is currently housed in the Health Council of East Central Florida and includes participants from Brevard, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.
Shawna Serig Kelsch is the director of The Reduce Obesity in Central Florida Kids program.
So far the activities of the program have focused on educating children and parents, teachers, and health care and early learning providers with information about active living, proper nutrition and healthy lifestyles.
The healthy lifestyles message, adopted from a successful childhood obesity prevention program developed by Nemours is an internationally recognized children’s health system that emphasizes healthy food choices, increased physical activity, and limiting access to television and computer screen time and sugary drinks.
’5-2-1-Almost None’
Specifically, the “5-2-1-Almost None” message specifies five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, two hours or less of screen time each day, an hour or more of physical activity each day and almost none for sugary drinks.
In 2011, the www.ROCKFL.org website was launched, coordinating resources and programs across the four counties, including access maps pinpointing public parks and recreation areas. The ANNIKA Foundation provided funding for the development of the website.
The new funding will allow ROCK to embark on an ambitious public awareness campaign and seeking to increase membership in the ROCK listserv, which regularly informs members about regional initiatives, new research and grant funding in areas related to the prevention of childhood obesity; expand the ROCK advisory board; work with the ROCK advisory board to develop new program strategies, with the goal of enabling the initiative to be self-sustaining; host a regional meeting to share best practices and highlight activities, milestones, programs; and to establish ROCK as a stand-alone, nonprofit entity to serve Brevard, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties with education, advocacy and policy change efforts to address the prevention of childhood obesity from a regional perspective.
“I am so pleased that the efforts of ROCK will continue to grow under this generous allocation of grant funding,” said ROCK director Shawna Serig Kelsch,
“I am enthusiastic about developing a board which will help advise and guide the consortium in strategic efforts to impact the health of our region and the children who live here.”
For more information, send email to rockdistrict7@gmail.com or call 321-537-5591.
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