OKLAHOMA CITY (March 22, 2023) –Today, several schools and other youth organizations held the first ever statewide day of action focusing on youth obesity prevention with the help of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET).
The TSET Healthy Youth Program partnered with groups from every region of the state to host Swap Up Day, which invited youth to engage in interactive games while learning how the foods and drinks they consume affect how they think, act and feel.
One third of Oklahoma children ages 10-17 are overweight or obese. The latest state data shows more than 20 percent of students don’t eat fruit, while more than half don’t eat green salad.
“In the teen years, children are starting to make some of their own decisions on what to eat and drink, so it’s important that we give them the tools to make healthy choices,” said Julie Bisbee, executive director of TSET. “If we encourage teens to make healthy changes now, we can avoid more serious issues like obesity and heart disease in the future.”
Swap Up is an educational campaign funded by TSET, delivering specific and realistic nutrition messages teens can relate to. The goal is to provide impactful behavior change youth can easily incorporate into their daily lives.
An estimated 17,000 youth participated in the immersive event, learning about easy ways to swap up food and drink choices and incorporate more fruits, veggies and water into their diets.
To help with your coverage of the event, download video and interviews from host sites.
To learn more about Swap Up and the TSET Healthy Youth Initiative, visit TSETHealthyYouth.com. Additionally, TSET has free healthy youth resources for educators and health care providers available for order at TSETHealthyYouth.com/order.
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The TSET Healthy Youth Initiative empowers Oklahoma youth to improve health outcomes for themselves and future generations. The initiative includes statewide public health education messaging, a youth-led advocacy program and character-building to reduce tobacco use and obesity. The initiative also gives parents resources to support their children in maintaining or developing healthy habits for a lifetime. Visit TSETHealthyYouth.com to learn more.
The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) serves as a partner and bridge builder for organizations shaping a healthier future for all Oklahomans. TSET provides leadership at the intersections of health by working with local coalitions and initiatives across the state, cultivating innovative and life-changing research and working across public and private sectors to develop, support, implement and evaluate creative strategies to take advantage of emerging opportunities to improve the public’s health. To learn more, go to Oklahoma.gov/TSET.
TSET – Better Lives Through Better Health