Prevention through Education and Certification: A National Model

Prevention efforts will lead to a new health-care specialist — Certified Bariatric Counselor (CBC) — trained to treat families and children in preventing or overcoming childhood obesity.

The Children's Health Education Foundation is leading the way to help educators and families understand the biological, psychological, and social implications of obesity in order to guide children’s behavior toward a life of physical and mental wellbeing. CHEF’s unique three-step approach to ameliorate the epidemic of childhood obesity has been designed for use by colleges, universities, public school systems, parent groups, community-based service organizations, and health-care organizations throughout the United States It will serve as a national model.

A campaign to build awareness will include the use of printed, electronic, and broadcast messages and materials. Informative literature is being developed for educators, health professionals, parents and families. A children’s comic book, featuring well-known cartoon characters and super heroes who have joined the fight against childhood obesity, will be developed. The Foundation’s web site will provide educators, parents and children with the latest research and strategies for combating childhood obesity. The Foundation will also actively seek endorsements from sports and entertainment celebrities, sponsor special events, write articles and feature stories for publication in newspapers and magazines, make Public Service Announcements, and work with children’s television programs like Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer, Blue’s Clues and Sponge Bob to get the message across that childhood obesity is a national health crisis that must be addressed.