Childhood obesity is one of the most pressing public health issues today and has become the most common chronic disease in childhood; 31.7% of American children 2-19 years of age are now overweight or obese. Data suggests that obesity among Hawaiʻi's children is even worse. (Ogden 2010; Pobutsky 2006)
Honolulu — The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), its Department of Pediatrics, and the Hawaiʻi Initiative for Childhood Obesity Research and Education (HICORE) are launching a new community campaign to prevent childhood obesity. Several local healthcare organizations are supporting this collaborative effort.
Based at the JABSOM Department of Pediatrics, the Hawaiʻi 5-2-1-0 Let's Go Initiative aims to prevent childhood obesity through a coordinated, health education campaign which promotes a healthy lifestyle message. This new initiative is modeled after successful programs in other states. It will provide practical tools and materials for Hawaiʻi's doctors and families to address this issue.
"A 2003 population-based study of children entering kindergarten in Hawaiʻi found that 28.5% were either overweight or obese. The problem was worse in rural communities where 30-40% of Hawaiʻi's kindergarteners were already overweight and obese. Obesity prevention clearly needs to be a priority for our community," said Dr. Kenneth Nakamura, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Hawaiʻi Chapter and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at JABSOM.
The name Hawaiʻi 5-2-1-0 sums up four key healthy lifestyle recommendations:
- 5 or more fruits or vegetables a day
- 2 hours or less of screen time a day
- 1 hour or more of physical activity per day
- 0 sugary drinks
The Hawaiʻi 5-2-1-0 leaders understand the complex health disparities related to childhood obesity and will focus initial efforts on high-risk families and under-served communities in Hawaiʻi as well as the physicians and organizations who serve them. Clinical tools, continuing medical education seminars and educational materials are being developed to assist providers in engaging families in discussions about healthy lifestyles. The materials will reflect the culture and interests of Hawaiʻi's families and will be translated into several different languages spoken in Hawaiʻi. The Hawaiʻi 5-2-1-0 team will then develop a coordinated strategy to maximize the dissemination of the message to Hawaiʻi's families through additional community partnerships, as well as electronic and social media.
"We are very excited about collaborating with our community partners in this important endeavor. They have been crucial players, bringing both financial support and helping us to develop strategies to reach the families of Hawaiʻi," said Dr. May Okihiro, director, Hawaiʻi Initiative for Childhood Obesity Research and Education (HICORE), Dept. of Pediatrics, JABSOM. She continued, "By working together, we can begin to address the issues that make it so difficult for families to make healthy lifestyle choices."
Local healthcare leaders are partnering with the HICORE team by providing financial support and disseminating the materials in their clinics and health centers. To date, donors to the Hawaiʻi 5-2-1-0 Initiative include HMSA Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Hawaiʻi Region, the Hawaiʻi Primary Care Association, University Health Alliance and AlohaCare.
Other organizations will use the message and materials in their work in the community to promote healthy eating and active living. These include the Hawaiʻi Nutrition and Physical Activity Coalition, the American Academy of Pediatrics – Hawaiʻi Chapter, the Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women and Children, Kapiʻolani Community College Culinary Arts Program, Med Quest Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi After School All Stars, The Department of Health Healthy Hawaii Initiative, the Hawaii Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (HAHPERD), and Kahoʻomiki, which oversees training of A+ Afterschool Program staff across the Islands.
"We look forward to using these materials and the Hawaiʻi 5-2-1-0 message in our pediatric and family clinics as well as in our work with the community," noted Dr. Cristeta Ancog, pediatrician, Kaiser Permanente, Hawaiʻi Region and an active member of the HICORE team.
"We are very pleased to celebrate and support this unique partnership with the University of Hawaiʻi, the major health plans in Hawaiʻi and the community," said Cliff K. Cisco, senior vice president, Hawaii Medical Services Association (HMSA) and vice president, HMSA Foundation. He continued, "By promoting a consistent message about healthy lifestyles across the state, we can raise awareness, create interest and catalyze change."
The Hawaiʻi 5-2-1-0 Let's Go Initiative will create an infrastructure that brings organizations and efforts together in the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Hawaiʻi 5-2-1-0 will create an information exchange portal for local organizations and families to learn about and share activities related to healthy lifestyles. By working together and learning from each other, efforts to promote family wellness through healthy eating and active living will have a greater impact. For more information www.hawaii5210.com.
To support the Hawaiʻi 5-2-1-0 initiative or JABSOM, please contact:
Elaine EvansDirector of Development and Alumni Engagement for the John A. Burns
School of Medicine
[email protected]
t (808) 692-0991, f (808) 692-1246
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The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawaiʻi System. Our mission is to unite our donors' passions with the University of Hawaiʻi's aspirations to benefit the people of Hawaiʻi and beyond. We do this by raising private philanthropic support, managing private investments and nurturing donor and alumni relationships. www.uhfoundation.org.
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa serves approximately 20,000 students pursuing more than 225 different degrees. Coming from every Hawaiian island, every state in the nation, and more than 100 countries, UH Mānoa students matriculate in an enriching environment for the global exchange of ideas. http://manoa.hawaii.edu
The John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), named for a visionary governor, was established in 1965 and has trained more than 4,500 medical doctors through its MD or residency program. Half of Hawaiʻi's practicing physicians are faculty or graduates of JABSOM or its Hawaiʻi Residency Programs. JABSOM also trains Public Health professionals. More than 3,500 MPH, MS, DrPH and PhD degrees have been awarded from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. In 2011, three of JABSOM's programs were ranked among the Top 100 medical schools in the country, by US News and World Report, including Geriatric Medicine ranked 13th in the country. For more information about JABSOM, visit http://jabsom.hawaii.edu.
