Admiral Steven Galson, Surgeon General and Laurie Tisch, Founder of the Children's Museum Launch Anti-Obesity Campaign

Education Update
By JUDITH AQUINO

When seeking information on childhood obesity, a museum rarely comes to mind as a helpful resource. The Children's Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) and the Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS) are changing that perception in a partnership with We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition) program. In recognition of their efforts to combat obesity, Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., presented CMOM and CHCANYS with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future Champion Award.

"By educating individuals and families about good nutrition, the value of healthy choices, the importance of preventive medicine and medical screening...ultimately the prevention of obesity is possible. What you are doing shows that you 'get it' here in New York City," said Dr. Galson.

The 2007 New York City Youth Risk Survey found that 11.5 percent of students were overweight. Dr. Galson noted that overweight children are at far greater risk for developing numerous health complications from cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases.

We Can! is an educational program designed by The National Institutes of Health to address the obesity epidemic by helping children between the ages of 8 to 13 maintain a healthy weight. The program focuses on educating parents and families on the importance of a healthy lifestyle in home and community settings. It is being implemented in more than 450 communities in 44 states.

In June 2008, CMOM and CHCANYS began creating We Can! programs specifically tailored for New York City families. The program includes health classes for parents in low-income communities and professional development for health educators. 19 community sites in New York City have committed to educating community members on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Executive Director of CMOM, Andew Ackerman, attributes the program's success to an ideal partnership. "When we explain that we bring together great health professionals working in clinics with educators who know how to work with families, people get it quickly," said Ackerman.

"To make a difference you need to work with partners," said Honorary Museum Chair Laurie M. Tisch. "Together we are providing the tools our at risk population needs to maintain a healthy weight."

In addition to its current programs, CMOM plans to add a health component to the training program it conducts for at-home care providers for disadvantaged children with the City University of New York. It also plans to launch a health component to the family-based programs it conducts at the East Side House Settlement in the Bronx; and install a permanent health exhibition.