>Thank you to MPH student Sarah Berkley for sharing the information below: >HBO documentary that is coming out about >Obesity. For the week of May 14th, anyone can >watch it even if you do not subscribe to (pay >for) HBO. HBO has partnered with CDC and NIH and >some other organizations to develop a >multifaceted approach, so it's more than just >the documentary/education piece. There is also a >conference and community outreach! > >Please pardon the cross-posting. > >Below is a press release regarding an upcoming >public health campaign, The Weight of the Nation, to be launched in May 2012. > >Please see http://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/# >to sign up for the campaign newsletter or host a >community screening event. In addition to the >community screenings of the main films, and >on-demand access to the online short films, >non-HBO subscribers will be able to view the >films when they are broadcast May 14-16. HBO’s >local affiliates are removing the subscription >requirement for the week of May 14, and this >will give access to non-subscribers. > >__________________________________________ > >For Immediate Release >THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION, A MULTI-PART, >MULTI-PLATFORM SERIES ADDRESSING THE NATIONAL >OBESITY EPIDEMIC, DEBUTS IN MAY ON HBO > >LOS ANGELES, Jan. 13, 2012 Continuingg its >tradition of spotlighting the nation’s most >pressing health issues in such presentations as >“Addiction” and “The Alzheimer’s >Project,” HBO addresses obesity in THE WEIGHT >OF THE NATION, helping launch one of the most >far-reaching public health campaigns on this >epidemic to date. The multi-part, multiplatform >series debuts in May, exclusively on HBO. > >In the U.S., 68% of adults age 20 and over are >overweight or obese, while 31.7% of the >nation’s children and adolescents age two to >19 are overweight or obese.* Obesity contributes >to six of the ten leading causes of death in >America, including heart disease, type 2 >diabetes, certain cancers and high blood pressure.** > >Bringing together the nation’s leading >research institutions, THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION >is being developed in partnership with the >Institute of Medicine (IOM), in association with >the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention >(CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), the >Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and Kaiser Permanente. > >“Obesity has become one of the most serious >threats to the health of the American people,” >comments Harvey V. Fineberg, M.D., Ph.D., >president of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies. > >“If we don’t succeed in turning this >epidemic around, we are going to face, for the >first time in our history, a situation where our >children are going to live shorter lives than we >do,” says Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., >director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). > >“Obesity-related health care costs about $147 >billion annually, and, on average, someone who >is obese costs $1400 more a year to care for,” >notes Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., >director of the Centers for Disease Control and >Prevention. “To get healthy, we’re all going >to have to do our part individuals, >communities, local, state and the federal >government. If the obesity trend continues, >we’re going to face steadily increasing health >care costs, as well as more lives lost to type 2 >diabetes, heart disease, many cancers and other complications from obesity.” > >THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION comprises four >documentary films, a three-part HBO Family >series, 14 bonus shorts, a social media >campaign, a book published by St. Martin’s >Press and a nationwide community-based outreach >campaign to support the initiative. > >The four-part series debuts MONDAY, MAY 14 and >TUESDAY, MAY 15, on HBO, with two films airing >back-to-back each night. The three-part HBO >Family series debuts WEDNESDAY, MAY 16. > >To ensure the widest possible audience, HBO will >use all its services, including the main HBO >channel, multiplex channels, HBO On Demand, HBO >GO and more. All films will also stream free of >charge on HBO.com, as well as on multiple >platforms by participating television service providers. > >Three years in the making, THE WEIGHT OF THE >NATION spotlights the facts and myths of this >urgent public health issue, showing how obesity >affects the health of the nation and cripples >the health care system. Type 2 diabetes, >cardiovascular disease, cancer and arthritis are >just a few of the diseases directly linked to >obesity and will dramatically increase if the status quo does not change. > >Like many other public health problems, >overweight and obesity have disproportionate >impacts on disadvantaged communities and racial >and ethnic minorities. Nine of the 10 states >with the highest obesity prevalence are also among the poorest.*** > >Americans are eating too much and too often, and >not getting enough physical activity. Less >healthy foods, such as soda, chips and candy, >have become relatively less expensive, while >more nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables >have become relatively more expensive. What’s >more, access to healthy food is a challenge for >many communities. Compounding the problem are >strong societal forces compelling people to eat more and move less. > >The centerpiece of THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION is >the four-part documentary series, featuring case >studies and interviews with leading experts and >with individuals and families struggling with obesity. > >The first film, “Consequences,” examines the >scope of the obesity epidemic and explores the >serious health consequences of being overweight or obese. > >The second film, “Choices,” gives viewers >the skinny on fat, revealing what science has >shown about how to lose weight, maintain weight loss and prevent weight gain. > >The third film, “Children in Crisis,” >documents the damage obesity is doing to the >nation’s children, tackling subjects ranging >from school lunches to the decline of physical >education to the marketing of unhealthy food to children. > >The fourth film, “Challenges,” examines the >major forces behind the obesity epidemic, >including agriculture, economics, evolutionary >biology, food marketing, racial and >socioeconomic disparities, physical inactivity, >American food culture and the strong influence >of the food and beverage industry. > >HBO Family’s “The Weight of the Nation for >Kids,” a series of three half-hour films, >looks at children who have taken action to >prevent obesity in their own lives and >communities. From the Rethinkers, a group of New >Orleans students, to the heartwarming story of a >Goldsboro, NC high school student, the films >offer inspiring examples of kids who have made a difference. > >In conjunction with the launch of THE WEIGHT OF >THE NATION films, the IOM will feature a new >report at the CDC’s Weight of the Nation™ >conference, May 7-9, that reviews the progress >made to date in curbing obesity and recommends >selected strategies and actions that can >accelerate progress in the near future. > >To facilitate community action, the campaign >will reach deep into local areas to distribute >40,000 community action kits to community-based >organizations working on obesity prevention. The >kits, consisting of the entire series, >discussion guides in English and Spanish, and >tips and supplemental materials for hosting >screenings, will provide essential tools to >catalyze and support local efforts in >communities that combat obesity across the country. > >Sources: >*National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) >** Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) >*** Youfa Wang and May A. Beydoun, From the >Center for Human Nutrition, Department of >International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg >School of Public Health, Baltimore, Md. Jan. 25, 2007. > >ABOUT THE PARTNERS > >INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE >Established in 1970 under the charter of the >National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of >Medicine provides objective, evidence-based >advice to policymakers, health professionals, >the private sector, and the public. The National >Academy of Sciences, National Academy of >Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National >Research Council make up the independent, >nonprofit National Academies. For more >information, visit national-academies.org or iom.edu > >CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC) >CDC works 24/7 saving lives, protecting people >from health threats, and saving money through >prevention. Whether these threats are global or >domestic, chronic or acute, curable or >preventable, natural disaster or deliberate >attack, CDC is the nation’s health protection >agency. CDC is a component of the U.S. >Department of Health and Human Services. www.cdc.gov. > >THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH) >NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, >includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a >component of the U.S. Department of Health and >Human Services. NIH is the primary federal >agency conducting and supporting basic, >clinical, and translational medical research, >and is investigating the causes, treatments, and >cures for both common and rare diseases. For >more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov. > >THE MICHAEL & SUSAN DELL FOUNDATION >The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is dedicated >to improving the lives of children living in >urban poverty around the world. With offices in >Austin, TX, Cape Town, South Africa and New >Delhi, India, the Dell family foundation funds >programs that foster high-quality public >education and childhood health, and improve the >economic stability of families living in >poverty. The foundation has committed more than >$825 million to global children’s issues and >community initiatives to date. www.msdf.org. > >KAISER PERMANENTE >Kaiser Permanente brings together its clinical >expertise, research capabilities and community >engagement efforts to combat childhood obesity >and to improve the health of its members and the >communities it serves. The organization’s >Community Health Initiatives for Healthy Eating >Active Living support more than 40 place-based >obesity prevention collaboratives, which work >with community residents, non-profit >organizations and government agencies to >increase access to healthy food and >opportunities for physical activity in schools, >neighborhoods and orkplaces. In 2009, Kaiser >Permanente received the Pioneering Innovation >award from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control >and Prevention for its groundbreaking obesity >prevention efforts. As the nation’s largest >integrated delivery system, the organization >pioneered efforts such as BMI and exercise as >Vital Signs, which have become standards of >practice in the health care sector. Every Body >Walk!, a public awareness campaign powered by >Kaiser Permanente, aims to get people walking 30 >minutes a day, five days a week to improve their overall health. For >more information, visit www.kp.org/communitybenefit. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you wish to unsubscribe from the COMHEALUMNI-L List, please send an E-mail to: "[log in to unmask]". Within the body of the text, only write the following:"SIGNOFF COMHEALUMNI-L".