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HOPE THRU
COPE
(CHILDHOOD OBESITY PREVENTION EDUCATION) |
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Florida Family Network and FAMU's Institute of Public Health Awarded $80,000 to Begin to Fight Childhood Obesity in Tallahassee Florida Family Network (FFN) and Florida A & M University, (FAMU) Institute of Public Health, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences recently received an $80,000 grant from the Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida, of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) to combat childhood obesity in Tallahassee. "This grant comes at a time where the childhood and adult obesity rates are alarmingly high not only in Leon County and the state of Florida specifically, but in general, we are seeing our data mirroring national data", said Sokoya Finch, Executive Director of Florida Family Network. According to the CDC, nationally childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. The prevalence of obesity among adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 18.1%. FAMU's Institute of Public Health professor and director, Dr. Cynthia M. Harris, said a few years ago, "It was almost unheard of to see children with heart disease or Type 2 diabetes due to obesity". She said Type 2 diabetes used to be called "adult-onset diabetes," but no more. That's why the grant is needed, Harris said. Compelled by the serious and widespread of the obesity epidemic for children, families, communities and the healthcare system, the Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida, the philanthropic affiliate of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) launched a statewide initiative called Embrace a Healthy Florida in May 2008. The $8 million, four-year strategic effort addresses the causes of childhood obesity through public-private partnership. Tallahassee is one of five Florida cities collaborating with The Blue Foundation through Embrace a Healthy Florida - The Blue Foundation's childhood obesity initiative. "Childhood obesity's widespread threat to children, families, communities and the health care system compels us to take action," said Susan Towler, vice president, the Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida. "Through Embrace a Healthy Florida, we hope to work side-by-side with the Tallahassee coalition to stop the epidemic before more of our children develop diabetes, heart disease and other obesity-related health problems." These concerted efforts may help to parallel and promote similar endeavors in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa and Miami. Embrace a Healthy Florida supports community-based programs that promote change in families' dynamics, parenting, child care centers and schools, neighborhood recreation opportunities and other factors that influence on the availability and accessibility of healthy food and the frequency of physical activity. The leading coordinating institution/agency (FAMU & FFN) has a management/administrative team who are also responsible for coordination and direction of the coalition, consisting of Miaisha Mitchell, Executive Director of the Greater Frenchtown Revitalization Council (Front Proach Initiative) and Dr. Penny Ralston, Professor, dean Emeritus (College of Human Sciences) and Director of the Center on Better Health and Life for Underserved Populations at Florida State University. Both Ralston and Mitchell will serve as COPE consultants bringing in their expertise to enhance the work of the coalition and help guide the direction, results and the building of a best practice template. The Tallahassee project, entitled, "Healthy Children! Healthy Future! Healthy Tallahassee! Hope Thru
Childhood Obesity Prevention Education (COPE) Coalition plans to develop and implement a multisectoral
community-wide coalition focused on reducing childhood obesity in Tallahassee. The COPE coalition will
address the following priority areas: Through the formation of interdisciplinary COPE teams, each of the above priority areas will be covered in its entirety. These teams will have a specific focused area with the COPE Coalition. The COPE Teams will develop specific goals and measurable objectives for their area of focus. A logic model/service delivery model will be the conceptual framework in which the coalition will further its work to do a number of things such as:
This year COPE's work plan will consist of three phases:
COPE's coalition partners joined its efforts during the application stage. Individuals, agencies, medical community, organizations, local, county, and state government individuals and agencies are not only supporting this initiative, but they are also sharing their resources, assisting in bridging various gaps in the areas of childhood obesity, and blending previous and current work towards one coalition that serve the children and families impacted by obesity and its contributing factors to poor health within the communities of Tallahassee. "We feel we have a strong university/community collaborative that involves the key players & key stakeholders in city, county and state government, Leon County Public Schools, the healthcare professions, public health, indoor/outdoor recreation-physical activities organizations, and others. Our job will be to have the legs of the table to be the parents/caretakers of the children who are fighting obesity as well as the youth. We will be a real meaningful coalition if we have a good representation of concern parents, family members and youth who can give breath and dept to this body of work. When this happens, this will be true community involvement, real coalition work and thereforth its efforts sustainable. With this type and level of involvement, our efforts will be grounded in gravity, research, policy and practice", said Finch. COPE had its first coalition meeting on October 28, 2010 at the Lincoln Neighborhood Community Center. |