Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation and Discovery Education Announce Energy Balance Curriculum to Combat Childhood Obesity
September 21, 2010
Program to reach over 21,000 elementary schools and over 1 million teachers
Washington, DC – The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF), the CEO-led organization driving a multi-year effort designed to help reduce obesity – especially childhood obesity – by 2015, today announced the launch of a new online curriculum powered by Discovery Education. Promoting ways to help young people achieve a healthy weight through energy balance – calories in and calories out – this curriculum is now available at no cost to educators at www.energybalance101.com.
“Parents and educators play a key role in teaching children that maintaining a balance of our Energy In and Energy Out contributes to a healthy, active lifestyle,” said Lisa Gable, Executive Director of HWCF. “This program helps ensure that we can deliver high-quality curriculum directly into the classroom where it can make a real difference in the lives of our children.”
“Discovery Education is proud to support the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation’s efforts to eliminate childhood obesity in America,” commented Mary Rollins, Discovery Education Vice President of Educational Partnerships. “This curriculum provides educators with new tools and resources that they can use in their classrooms to fight this epidemic threatening today’s children.”
This engaging new curriculum – jointly developed by the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, Discovery Education, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), and pediatric dieticians -- includes lesson plans, resources, and videos aligned to national standards, for the K-2 and 3-5 grade bands. The entire curriculum can be integrated into classroom instruction, but is also flexible enough that teachers can use the entire scope of resources or select the elements that best fit their needs.
Energy Balance 101 teacher resources are divided into four modules:
- Module 1- Introduction to Energy Balance and how to make choices for an active, healthy lifestyle that fit individual needs
- Module 2- Food Side of the Energy Balance Scale
- Module 3- Physical Activity Side of the Energy Balance Scale
- Module 4- Applying Energy Balance to Students’ Lives
Each module includes background information and tips helping teachers, especially those not experts in nutrition or physical education, understand the content, as well as dynamic activities and engaging Discovery Education digital media. Family and community extension resources are also included, helping facilitate further learning beyond the classroom.
“NASPE dreams of a healthier nation in which all individuals are physically educated and participate in lifelong physical activity,” said Executive Director Charlene R. Burgeson. “This excellent new resource will help students achieve the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity every day while having high energy and physical stamina.”
The announcement with Discovery Education comes on the heels of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between HWCF and the U.S. Army designed to combat childhood obesity, a problem that is increasing health risks among the nation’s youth and reducing the pool of available recruits for military service. In May, HWCF announced the unprecedented partnership with Discovery Education and Parents magazine for the creation of these complimentary websites that provide information on healthy active lifestyles at school and home. Along with First Lady Michelle Obama, HWCF food and beverage manufacturers also announced an historic agreement to reduce annual calories by 1.5 trillion by the end of 2015.
To access the Energy Balance 101 curriculum, visit http://www.energybalance101.com.
About Discovery Education
Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) revolutionized television with Discovery Channel and is now transforming classrooms through Discovery Education. Powered by the number one nonfiction media company in the world, Discovery Education combines scientifically proven, standards-based digital media and a dynamic user community in order to empower teachers to improve student achievement. Already, more than half of all U.S. schools access Discovery Education digital services. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.
About National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE)
The preeminent national authority on physical education and a recognized leader in sport and physical activity, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) is a non-profit professional membership association that sets the standard for practice in physical education and sport. NASPE’s 15,000 members include: K-12 physical education teachers, coaches, administrators, researchers, and college/university faculty who prepare professionals in these areas. NASPE seeks to enhance knowledge, improve professional practice, and increase support for high-quality physical education, sport and physical activity programs. It is the largest of the five national associations that make up the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD). For more information, visit www.naspeinfo.org.
The preeminent national authority on physical education and a recognized leader in sport and physical activity, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) is a non-profit professional membership association that sets the standard for practice in physical education and sport. NASPE’s 15,000 members include: K-12 physical education teachers, coaches, administrators, researchers, and college/university faculty who prepare professionals in these areas. NASPE seeks to enhance knowledge, improve professional practice, and increase support for high-quality physical education, sport and physical activity programs. It is the largest of the five national associations that make up the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD). For more information, visit www.naspeinfo.org.
About Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation
The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation is a first-of-its kind coalition that brings together over 110 retailers, food and beverage manufacturers, sporting goods and insurance companies, restaurants, a professional sports association, trade associations, NGOs and the Army. The Foundation focuses on activities in the schools, the workplace and the marketplace to promote healthy weight among Americans by balancing the energy they consume with the energy they expend through physical activity.
The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation is a first-of-its kind coalition that brings together over 110 retailers, food and beverage manufacturers, sporting goods and insurance companies, restaurants, a professional sports association, trade associations, NGOs and the Army. The Foundation focuses on activities in the schools, the workplace and the marketplace to promote healthy weight among Americans by balancing the energy they consume with the energy they expend through physical activity.
HWCF Members:
- 6KidsNFit
- American Council for Fitness and Nutrition Foundation
- American Dietetic Association Foundation
- American Wholesale Markets Association
- Ashley Shaffer, Miss New Jersey
- Association of Junior Leagues International
- Baby Goes Pro
- Be Active Florida
- Bio Vittoria Limited
- Brookshire Grocery Company
- Bumble Bee Foods, LLC
- California Fresh Fundraisers LLC
- Campbell Soup Company
- CATCH
- Charles the Chef
- ConAgra Foods
- Core Wellness Life Coaching LLC
- Darden Restaurants
- Del Monte Foods
- Discovery Education
- Dish with Eileen
- Doctors Direct Healthcare
- Dream Dinners
- Einstein Noah Restaurant Group
- Exercise is Medicine
- Exergame Fitness
- eXtension
- Festival Foods (Minnesota)
- Fields of Dreams
- FitCity, a division of Learning Well, Inc.
- Fitness Feria
- FoodCALC
- Food City
- Food Marketing Institute
- General Mills, Inc.
- GetSweaty
- Girl Scouts of the USA
- Global Dairy Platform
- Gonzalez Northgate Market
- Good Sports
- Grains for Health Foundation
- Grocery Manufacturers Association
- Harris Teeter, Inc.
- Hartley Brand (H & H Products Co.)
- Health-E-tips and JAM School Program
- Healthcorps (Health + Healing Network)
- Healthy Dining Finder
- Healthy Lifestyle Choices
- Hy-Vee, Inc.
- IFIC Foundation
- IGA, Inc.
- ILSI Research Foundation
- Institute of Food Technologists
- Jax Markets
- Kellogg Company
- Kraft Foods Inc.
- Len Saunders
- Mars, Incorporated
- Martin’s Supermarkets
- McCain Foods
- McCormick & Company, Inc.
- MEND
- National Association for Sport & Physical Education
- National Business Group on Health (channel partner on Your Wellness Advantage portal)
- National Wildlife Federation
- Nestlé USA
- NFL Play 60
- ‘nPlay
- Nutralife
- Our Park Place
- Outdoor Foundation
- Passport to Health
- Paul Pierce’s The Truth on Health
- PE4life
- PepsiCo Foundation
- PepsiCo, Inc.
- Pink Lady America LLC
- Playworld Systems
- Price Chopper
- Prince William Trails and Streams Coalition
- PureCircle Limited
- Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
- Ralston Foods/Post Foods, LLC (Ralcorp Holdings, Inc.)
- Redner’s Markets, Inc.
- Road Runners Club of America
- Safeway Inc.
- Sara Lee Corporation
- Schnuck Markets, Inc.
- Shannon Miller, 7 Time Olympic Medalist
- Shop Rite of Hunterdon Co., Inc.
- Skogen’s Festival Foods
- Snack Foods Association
- SPARK
- Tate & Lyle
- The Balancing Act
- The Coca-Cola Company
- The Hershey Company
- The J.M. Smucker Company
- The National Activity Plan
- The National Theatre for Children
- The PGA of America (The Professional Golfers’ Association of America)
- The Sports Authority
- Tommy the Tomato
- TOPS Club, Inc.
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Unilever
- United Supermarkets, Ltd.
- U.S. Army
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- U.S. National Physical Activity Plan
- USA Rugby
- Wakefern Food Corporation
- W. K. Kellogg Foundation
- WalkStyles, Inc.
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