Eat, Think, and Be Active

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Eat, Think, and Be Active!
An interactive after-school education program for
youth ages 11 to 13
John McGrath, Ph.D. Public Information and
Communications Branch, NICHD mcgrathj_at_mail.nih.cov
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The Big Picture

• Average child sees more than 40,000 commercials a
  year
• Commercials are quick, fast-paced and
  entertaining
• Commercials try to convince child that eating a
  certain food will make a child happy or popular

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Effect of 40,000 Commercials

• Strong evidence that marketing foods and
  beverages to children influences their
  preferences, requests, purchases, and diets
• Most foods marketed to children are high calories
  and low in nutrients
• Candy, soft drinks, salty snacks and chips are
  the top items that teens 13-17 purchase with
  their own money
• Marketing has become more sophisticated,
  pervasive, invasive, and effective
• More than 10 billion per year is spent on
  marketing foods and beverages that kids buy and
  eat.

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Media and Overweight

• Overweight increases in proportion to the number
  of hours children sit in front of a screen
• A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found
  that children aged 8 to 18 years had an average
  media usage time of 6 hours and 21 minutes.
• Obesity among preschool children more than
  doubled in the last 30 years ... more than
  tripled for children 6-11

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Overview of Presentation Today

• Origin and basis for program
• Acknowledgement of AED
• Academy for Educational Development
• Features and materials
• Formative research and pilot test
• Where the program is being used
• Evaluation preliminary results

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Program Goals

• Create awareness of medias role in influencing
  choices about physical activity and nutrition
• Build critical thinking and media analysis skills
  to help youth make informed choices regarding
  physical activity and nutrition
• Encourage youth to establish healthy habits now
  to last into adulthood

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Program Materials

• Facilitators Guide includes 10 highly
  interactive and fun lessons for youth ages 11-13
  y.o.
• Lessons include snack and action breaks
• Guide youth toward creating their own media
  project

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Program Materials

• Content includes
• Media analysis
• Nutrition
• Physical activity
• Media production skills
• DVD/Video and poster to supplement the lessons

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How do Youth Become Media-Smart?

• Critical thinking skills
• Access information
• Analyze explore message construction
• Evaluate implicit and explicit messages
• Creative production skills
• Work with Media Partner to create messages
• Communicate messages to peers ages 9-13 y.o.

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The Big Production
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Pilot Sites New York
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Pilot Sites Minnesota
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Pilot Sites Washington, DC
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Pilot Sites
WA
MT
ME
ND
MN
VT
OR
NH
WI
ID
SD
MI
NY
MA
WY
CT
RI
PA
IA
NV

IN
NE
OH
NJ
IL
UT
MO
CA
CO
MD
VA
WV
KS
KY
NC
TN
AZ
OK
AR
AL
NM
SC
Media-Smart Youth Pilot Sites
GA
MS
TX
LA
We Can! Sites using Media-Smart Youth
AK
Media-Smart Youth Evaluation Sites
FL
HI
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Formative Research Key Findings

• Flexibility
• Structure organization of lessons
• Youth involvement/ after-school feel
• Guidance for media partners
• Link to educational standards

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Media Smart Youth in Action
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A national education program involving youth,
ages 8-13, and their parents and caregivers in
home and community settings to meet the overall
goal of preventing overweight and obesity.
Flexible! Variety of settings
Turn key! Science-based program for the entire
community
Fosters collaboration!
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Resources and Channels
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WE CAN SITES
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WE CAN! Sites Using Media-Smart Youth
WA
MT
ME
ND
MN
VT
OR
NH
WI
ID
SD
MI
NY
MA
WY
CT
RI
PA
IA
NV

IN
NE
IL
UT
MO
OH
MD
CA
CO
VA
WV
KS
NJ
KY
NC
TN
AZ
OK
AR
SC
AL
NM
Media-Smart Youth Pilot Sites
GA
MS
TX
LA
We Can! Sites using Media-Smart Youth
AK
FL
Media-Smart Youth Evaluation Sites
HI
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Media-Smart Youth Formal Outcome Evaluation
Media-Smart Youth Formal Outcome Evaluation

• Looks at whether or not the Media-Smart Youth
  program increases knowledge, intentions and
  skills in media analysis, nutrition and physical
  activity.
• First formal evaluation of the curriculum using
  trained facilitators.
• Conducted with sites in DC, Fairfax County, VA,
  and Montgomery County, MD
• Evaluation Report to be published in early 2007

• Looks at whether or not the Media-Smart Youth
  program increases knowledge, intentions and
  skills in media analysis, nutrition and physical
  activity.
• First formal evaluation of the curriculum using
  trained facilitators.
• Conducted with sites in DC, Fairfax County, VA,
  and Montgomery County, MD
• Evaluation Report to be published in early 2007

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Next Steps

• Promote the materials through partnerships
• Regional chapters of youth-serving organizations
• NIH partners - WE CAN!
• BET Foundation Summer Camp

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Summary

• Media-Smart Youth is
• Well-researched and tested
• Grounded in communications and youth
  development principals
• Exciting and fun for young people
• Used by youth-serving organizations
  across the country

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Media-Smart Youth in Bronx M.S. 127
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Media-Smart Youth in Times Square
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www.nichd.nih.gov/msy http//wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov
mcgrathj_at_mail.nih.gov