Media Contact:
Jill Becher
(414) 226-5413
MILWAUKEE, Wis. -More Wisconsin families will now have access to a
guide that will help them find ways to incorporate healthy eating
and physical activity into their daily routine. Blue Cross Blue
Shield of Wisconsin Foundation (BCBSWi) donated more than 300,000
copies of Healthy Habits for Healthy Kids, an educational nutrition
and physical activity guide to be distributed through the Office of
Governor Jim Doyle and the Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians
Foundation. The guides will be offered free-of-charge to families
and health care professionals statewide.
BCBSWi donated one-half million copies of the Healthy Habits for
Healthy Kids guide in 2004. The guides have been distributed to
physicians, schools, and families throughout Wisconsin to help them
tackle one of the most challenging barriers to solving the problem
of childhood obesity — how to start a dialogue on this highly
sensitive health epidemic.
The educational guide was developed by BCBSWi and the American
Dietetic Association (ADA) and was reviewed by more than 200
physicians and a panel of registered dietitians from across the
nation. Healthy Habits for Healthy Kids stresses family
participation and provides practical strategies for engaging the
entire family in healthy eating and more physical activity. The
guide provides easy-to-follow tips and tricks for healthy living,
including:
* The “Healthy Habits Quiz” to identify where a family
may want to make changes
* Information about how to set healthy, realistic goals
* A guide to nutritious foods
* Ways to include more physical activity in a daily
routine
* Healthy hints for eating out with kids
“We are pleased with the response to this guide and are delighted to
partner with Governor Doyle and the Wisconsin Academy of Family
Physicians to distribute additional copies that will help empower
families with information and resources to live healthier lives,”
said Stuart K. Campbell, president, BCBSWi.
“Battling childhood obesity starts with parents, healthcare
professionals, and teachers working together to educate our kids and
promote good physical health and nutrition,” Governor Doyle said.
“This guide is an important tool to make sure kids and parents are
informed, and thanks to the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin
Foundation, more teachers, parents, and healthcare professionals in
Wisconsin can use this guide to help our kids live healthier
lifestyles now and in the future.”
Healthy Habits for Healthy Kids is available free in electronic
format in English and Spanish at www.bluecrosswisconsin.com,
www.eatright.org and
copies of the guide can be ordered through Governor Doyle’s office
at 414 227-4344.
About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin Foundation
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin Foundation focuses on
initiatives that will make health care more accessible and
affordable, improve quality of care, support the development of
health-related public policy, and help establish best practices in
medicine. The Foundation focuses on developing social investment
programs and partnering with nonprofit public charities whose
projects and programs closely align with Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Wisconsin’s health care priorities.
