Thousands of Oklahoma Youth Participate in TSET’s Nutritional Day of Action
OKLAHOMA CITY — Schools and youth organizations across Oklahoma are joining the second annual Swap Up Day of Action this week, promoting healthy habits and preventing youth obesity with support from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET).
Through the TSET Healthy Youth Initiative, the Swap Up campaign partnered with groups across the state to engage an estimated 20,000 students in a single day of nutrition-focused events. Youth participants learned simple ways to make healthier food and drink choices by swapping in more fruits, vegetables and water.
One-third of Oklahoma children ages 10-17 are overweight or obese. State data show nearly 20% of youth don’t eat fruit daily, almost 10% skip vegetables, and more than 15% drink soda at least twice a day.
“Encouraging teens to make healthy swaps now will help them avoid more serious issues in the future, like obesity and heart disease,” said Julie Bisbee, executive director of TSET. “The TSET Board of Directors invests in programs like Swap Up because empowering youth with the knowledge and tools to make healthier choices today lays the foundation for a healthier Oklahoma tomorrow.”
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.
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