 FAT: What No one Is Telling You
Premiering April 11, 2007 at 9PM ET
Monthly Outreach Newsletter
March 2007
“My answer is – participation. That’s how we change this epidemic. Once you get involved then you learn the rest.” America Bracho, Latino Health Access
In this issue:
WELCOME to the FAT: What No One Is Telling You March Newsletter!
It's hard for me to believe the premiere date is within striking distance. We have just completed post production on both FAT: What No One Is Telling You and the half-hour panel discussion, Take One Step for Your Family’s Health, that directly follows the documentary.
The documentary has been getting rave reviews from those who have seen previews, and we are very excited about the follow-up show. It is a passionate and informative discussion among some of the top researchers, clinicians and community activists in the country. Dr. Nancy Snyderman, chief medical editor at NBC News, hosted the show, and I must say, sometimes had to referee. There was no shortage of informed opinion in this half-hour.
The combination of these two shows should help you change the conversation about obesity in your communities. To make a difference in America’s obesity epidemic, we must work as individuals and communities to create a healthy environment for our families. FAT shows clearly why this is true and Take One Step suggests how we can do that.
Another feature of this two-hour special is that there is a Spanish language version available on the SAP track. Latino communities are disproportionately affected by the obesity epidemic and we wanted to make sure that stations can make this program available to those in greatest need of assistance.
We look forward to hearing from you about the activities in your communities surrounding this broadcast event. Please let us know what you are doing—we want to brag about it to other stations. Send updates to pbsfatinfo@tpt.org.
Naomi S. Boak
Executive Producer
TAKE ONE STEP Grant Recipient Spotlight
KETC/St. Louis, in partnership with the American Heart Association, St. Louis University and the Family Support Council is promoting healthy living among child care providers, parents and young children by offering health education during ten monthly staff meetings for childcare workers at the Grace Hill Head Start. Group leaders will guide these Head Start employees, all of whom have identified themselves as non-exercisers, toward healthier habits using goal setting and journaling. In addition, KETC will create walking clubs and encourage all Grace Hill staff, from center directors to frontline day care providers, to get moving, eat well, and have fun.
New Information on Partnership Opportunities
Ready to Learn (RTLL) has long provided resources on health and well-being for children, their parents and caregivers. On Thursday, March 1, RTLL station coordinators joined FAT executive producer Naomi Boak, America On the Move and YMCA representatives to discuss FAT programming, resources and partnership opportunities to extend health-related Ready to Learn activities.
“This is so in keeping with the Place of Our Own parent/provider workshops, one of which is entitled ‘Preventing Childhood Obesity,’" said Jackie Hamilton, KEET/Eureka. "It will be good to have current resource information and data to present along with the workshops.”
We want to encourage you to contact our partners: America On the Move and the YMCA of the USA.
YMCA of the USA
Twin Cities Public Television will be making posters available to participating YMCAs this month! DVDs will be distributed after the FAT broadcast to promote post-broadcast screening events. The Y’s began showcasing Take One Step programming with The Hidden Epidemic and continue with FAT. Visit www.ymca.net for more information on the largest provider of childcare in the US, with 2,617 YMCAs in 10,000 communities. This is the perfect community partner for both RTLL and FAT.
America On the Move (AOM)
This national nonprofit initiative provides free, practical and well-researched weight solutions via extensive Web materials. One offering, a family toolkit, presents 100 Ways to Eat Healthier; Add 2000 Steps; and 100 Ways to Surround Your Family with Success. Check out AOM resources, including a child-friendly portal, by registering at www.americaonthemove.org.
Check Out Our New Resources
With our partners America On the Move and the YMCA of the USA, we’re creating an Outreach Toolkit for FAT: What No One Is Telling You. This document is in the final design/approval process and will be ready and downloadable by next week.
Highlights of the toolkit include:
- About the Film and Outreach Initiative: This section focuses on the documentary and will help you start thinking about the subject matter and how you might share it with your community.
- About the PBS Health Campaign TAKE ONE STEP: A succinct but helpful overview of the PBS initiative in which FAT is featured, this section offers information on the fifteen grant-funded initiatives that are currently underway at stations nationwide.
- About America On the Move: Here we introduce our national outreach partner, informing you about its mission and offering additional Web-based tools to enrich your efforts.
- About the YMCA: Learn about our community outreach partner’s rich history of educating communities about healthy choices. You’ll find out about the YMCA’s most current initiatives and get practical information about joining forces with your local chapter.
- Partnering and Planning for Strong Outreach: This section simply highlights the basic considerations and steps you’ll take as you plan your FAT outreach initiative.
- Specific Outreach Ideas for FAT: What No One Is Telling You: Here you’ll find hands-on event and/or health initiative ideas for adults, children and families. There are also suggestions for workplace activities/events.
- Promoting Your Efforts: This section features the tools you need to spread the word to a variety of audiences about your health-based initiatives.
This downloadable guide is perfect to use for station initiatives OR to share with community partners who are already facilitating health-related initiatives.
Watch for this kit and other tools by visiting: http://tpt.org/pbsfatinfo/ and click on the link “tools.”
Coming Soon
Look forward to these items in future editions of this newsletter:
- Station Activities Updates
- Opportunities with the YMCA and America On the Move
- Promotional Tips
- Program and promo feed times
- Tips on Keeping Your Outreach Alive
Contact Information
There are many people who can assist your station’s outreach efforts or answer questions about FAT: What No One Is Telling You.
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