The YEAH! Campaign
With super-sized meals, video games and an automobile-driven society, staying healthy today is a challenge. In addition, youth are bombarded with messages encouraging them to eat at fast-food restaurants, play computer games and buy snack foods. Adults and kids don’t always receive the information they need about the benefits of having a healthy weight and lifestyle.
4-H Youth are taking action through the YEAH! Campaign, which provides this much-needed information and supports the role that everyone can have in becoming advocates for a healthy lifestyle.
"By helping young people to be a part of the solution with YEAH!, youth become empowered to lead by example and action. They can help improve lives of individuals and create change within their youth organizations, schools and communities," said Dr. Joy Jordan, 4-H Youth Development Specialist, University of Florida.
The facts now out about childhood obesity is increasingly scary. Did you know that obesity in children has tripled in the past two years? That means that one in five children today is overweight! With this increase, these children suffer from type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure! Children shouldn’t have to worry about such adult problems!
Local 4-H youth joined teens from around the state at the Youth Ambassador Summit in Orlando, Florida in June. These Youth Empowered Ambassadors for Health (YEAH!) ranging in age from 13 to 18 years of age were presented tools that will enable them to be advocates for healthy lifestyles among their peers in their local youth organization and within their community. Youth received training and resources showcasing youth ambassador models and programs focused on increasing physical activity, healthy nutrition choices and reducing screen time.
The youth and adults that attended the Summit were able to become the mentor and train over 400 of their peers on the healthy programs during workshops at the 2006 4-H Congress held in Gainesville, Florida in July. The main goals that the youth teach/learn are:
- 1) Increase lifelong physical activity
- 2) Increase lifelong healthy eating
- 3) Decrease total screen time (TV, video games, etc);
- 4) Create youth ambassadors for healthy lifestyle leadership and peer mentoring
Young people across the state and throughout the country are now starting grassroots campaigns to ensure that cafeterias and vending machines offer healthy food choices. Other groups are focusing on daily physical education in schools... and it works!
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