This morning I had the pleasure to interview Jared Fogle and one of the employees of his foundation, Joy Hafner. Ms. Hafner answered some preliminary questions I had about the Jared Foundation, an organization created to assist children and teens with obesity.
What is the purpose of the Jared Foundation?
The purpose of the Jared Foundation is to bring awareness and support program initiatives that address the wide-spread epidemic of childhood obesity. To develop easy to use tools that encourage children, support parents, schools, and community organizations. To provide grants to organizations that focus on fostering sustainable nutrition and exercise programs. To form strategic alliances with key organizations that will advance our understanding and application of programs that address childhood obesity.
How do you assist children with weight problems?
The Jared Foundation is working with schools to develop in school, after school, and lunch menu programs. In order to help schools implement the 2004 federally mandated wellness policies, The Jared Foundation will offer $20,000 grants to up to 50 schools in 2008 ($1 million total in grant money). We also have established an online Get Fit Club. The Club is designed to encourage kids to live a healthy lifestyle through physical activity and good nutrition habits, support one another, and volunteer in their communities to make a difference. This program will be used injunction with in school programs, community activities, and fundraising events.
What weights are considered overweight?
There are two ways to measure obesity. The first is in body weight; to be considered obese an individual’s weight has to be at least 10 percent higher than what is recommended for their height and body type. The second approach is BMI measurement, overweight is arbitrarily defined as a BMI greater than the 85th percentile and obesity as a BMI greater than the 95th percentile.
Do you, at the Jared Foundation, see obesity in teens?
Yes, obesity is a wide spread epidemic in this country. It affects every age, gender, and race. Statics from the year 2000 stated that approximately 15.3 percent of children (ages 6–11) and 15.5 percent of adolescents (ages 12–19) were overweight. An additional 15 percent of children and 14.9 percent of adolescents were at risk for overweight (based on BMI / body mass index measures).
I may be posting my interview with Jared of Subway fame later on in the week, so stay tuned!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment