Article published May 14, 2006
HEALTH program targets obesity among children
By Marci Elliott
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
It's a different type of program that needs a special kind of teacher.
Project HEALTH - which stands for Health Education and Life-Transforming Habits - is about to kick off a new year this fall, and it needs to get those teachers on board now.
The project is a pilot study to prevent obesity and diabetes among children and adolescents. It was founded in 2002 by Dr. Joseph Webster, a local gastroenterologist and surgeon, but wasn't implemented until February, said program manager Tiffany Simpkins.
"We didn't get the right people we needed until now," Simpkins said last week. "It's different from other programs because it focuses on teaching thinking skills that will last throughout your lifetime."
Sandra Allen, station manager for the city of Tallahassee's WCOT television station, is Project HEALTH's chairwoman and a firm believer in the program.
"It's an ongoing education. It's been presented to the Leon County School Board, the city of Tallahassee and other (agencies) and has been very well received," Allen said. "The thrust we're looking for now is to recruit teachers to undergo training to be able to teach children in this project."
To find teachers willing to participate, Project HEALTH will have a booth in the May 19-20 Emancipation Day celebration at the Walker Ford Community Center, 2301 Pasco St.
Participating teachers will attend a training program led by professional Lester Brown of LL Brown International of Seattle.
The teacher participation is voluntary and will be limited to one-hour sessions one day a week with children after school at four sites to begin with: Nims Middle School, Rickards High School, Bond-Wesson Elementary School and FAMU High. While these are predominantly black schools, the program is not limited to black students and teachers.
"Students will start being tracked and monitored in September," Simpkins said.
Webster said he got the idea for Project HEALTH from Clinton Byrd, one of his board members, who told him the childhood obesity issue was "getting out of hand."
Webster came up with the concept of life-transforming habits - the key that sets his program apart from others focused solely on diet and eating patterns.
"Knowledge alone is not the answer," Webster said. "There has to be a different way of thinking to make it work."
Project HEALTH is a five-year program, he said. Obviously, nutrition and diet will be a part of it, but not approached the same way as in traditional weight-loss programs.
Since Webster founded Project HEALTH four years ago, its major source of funding has come out of his own pocket.
But now the program will begin looking for grants and contributions to keep it afloat.
"We need help. We need funding," he said. "It's a great project, but Dr. Webster needs help."
HOW TO HELP
What: Volunteer teacher recruitment for Project HEALTH
When: May 19-20
Where: Emancipation Celebration booth, Walker Ford Community Center, 2301 Pasco St.
Information: Call the Project HEALTH office at (850) 877-3783 or visit
www.projecthealth04@ aol.com
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