Childhood Obesity Prevention and the Good Health Club
Childhood obesity is a critical public health issue. As the prevalence of childhood obesity has tripled over the past 30 years, its impact on children's health risks has compounded. Type 2 diabetes is increasingly being reported among children and adolescents who are obese. Although diabetes and glucose intolerance, a precursor of diabetes, are common health effects of adult obesity, only in recent years has type 2 diabetes begun to emerge as a health-related problem among children and adolescents.
Combating this troubling trend and improving the health of our children require concerted efforts by local neighborhoods, schools, families and physicians. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) and the 39 independent, locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies recognize the urgent need to support these efforts and have established numerous programs to educate and empower children, as well as their families, teachers and physicians, toward healthy lifestyles.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Company Initiatives and Programs
Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies have developed local school- and community-based programs that promote healthy lifestyles; launched fitness, wellness and weight management programs specifically designed for children; empowered physicians with childhood obesity prevention toolkits; engaged parents through targeted education and outreach; and provided funding for childhood obesity prevention. Learn more in the Commitment to the Next Generation of Healthy Americans report.
The Good Health Club
In addition to the local programs featured in the Commitment to the Next Generation of Healthy Americans report, BCBSA, through its Good Health Club, is leading System-wide efforts to develop and support broader adoption of successful programs. The Good Health Club promotes healthy choices and behaviors in children through fun, effective, age-appropriate communications.
The Good Health Club uses a group of animated characters to teach kids to:
- Eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies every single day
- Limit screen time to 2 hours or less
- Get at least 1 hour of physical activity
- Limit sweetened drinks to 0
A key initiative on this front is the Good Health Club Physician Toolkit, which provides effective and engaging tools needed to educate parents and children about childhood obesity and diabetes prevention.
Physician Toolkit
The Good Health Club Physician Toolkit was developed in consultation with the American Diabetes Association and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and adapted from materials that have been successfully used by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies around the country. The Quality Improvement Innovation Network, a network of AAP practicing pediatrician members and their staffs, also provided feedback during development.
The Toolkit contains convenient physician reference information as well as behavior-changing educational tools to share with patients and parents. These materials share the healthy 5-2-1-0 messages and tips from the Good Health Club.
Healthy Tip Sheet
Outrun Obesity brochure (with behavior risk quiz)
(English) (Spanish)
Weekly Journal
(English) (Spanish)
Body Mass Index-for-age percentiles charts
(English/Spanish; front-boys/back-girls).
Physician Reference Guide
(English only)
5-2-1-0 Good Health Club Posters Club Characters Poster
(2 – 12 years) (English) (Spanish)
5-2-1-0 Poster
(13+ years) (English) (Spanish)
For a full Good Health Club Physician Toolkit, please contact your local Blue Cross and Blue Shield company.
Results
Physicians were surveyed before and after using the Toolkits, and their feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The Toolkit is proving effective to physicians in educating patients and parents.
