SUBWAY(R) RESTAURANTS PARTNERS WITH THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH WE CAN! EDUCATION PROGRAM TO HELP KIDS AND FAMILIES MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT
SUBWAY(R) Restaurants and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today a partnership in support of the We Can!(TM) (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition) education program. The partnership will be launched at a National PEP (Play More, Eat Right and Push Away the Screen) Rally at the D.C. Armory on Wednesday, March 25. The event will feature hundreds of kids, parents, and teachers, along with renowned athletes Laila Ali and Tab Ramos, SUBWAY(R) Restaurants spokesman Jared Fogle, and NIH Acting Principal Deputy Director Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D.
The PEP rally will get kids moving and teach them about the importance of energy balance and maintaining a healthy weight. The event will feature fun activities and resources based on the NIH’s We Can! science-based education program, a fast-growing national movement of families and communities coming together to promote healthy weight in children ages 8 through 13 through improved food choices, increased physical activity, and reduced screen time.
Joined by champion athlete Laila Ali and Olympic soccer player Tab Ramos, SUBWAY(R) Restaurants’ spokesperson Jared Fogle is set to host the PEP Rally, where more than 300 elementary and middle school students will participate in popular and educational games like basketball, soccer, and Energy In/Energy Out, a tag-like game that emphasizes the importance of energy balance for a healthy weight. With parents, teachers and We Can! leaders cheering them on, students will rotate through the games, enjoy a SUBWAY(R) Restaurants FRESH FIT FOR KIDS(TM) meal for lunch and participate in an autograph-signing session with Fogle, Ali and Ramos. Participants will also be asked to sign a “PEP Pledge,” agreeing to play more, eat right, and push away the screen.
“Getting kids to stay healthy and active is something I work on all year long and I am constantly on the road, going from school to school to reach out to children,” said Jared Fogle, SUBWAY(R) Restaurants spokesperson. “I’m proud to be here today to support the We Can! program on behalf of SUBWAY(R) Restaurants because my goal is to help children avoid the physical and emotional hardships I went through living with obesity.”
SUBWAY(R) Restaurants’ commitment to helping families eat healthier is evident from meal offerings as part of the FRESH FIT (R) meal. In addition, SUBWAY(R) Restaurants will spread We Can! messages through a co-branded marketing campaign that showcases We Can! resources and materials in restaurants and through the SUBWAY(R) Restaurants Kids Web site. In collaboration with Scholastic, Inc., SUBWAY(R) Restaurants is also delivering fun tools and activities to teachers, student, and parents, including a “You Are What You Eat” poster, reproducible activities for students, and send-home sheets for parents — all based on We Can! materials. The partnership will also help strengthen We Can!’s outreach to communities across the United States by supporting training programs for community-based educators and leaders to help them implement science-based, hands-on curricula for youth and for parents. Currently, more than 1,000 We Can! Community sites nationwide and beyond have committed to providing We Can! programs at the local level.
“We Can! is an outstanding example of translating scientific knowledge to practical steps that families can take to prevent a significant and pervasive health problem — obesity,” noted Tabak. “This partnership will help us dramatically expand our reach to thousands of families nationwide with our simple message: To maintain a healthy weight, eat right, move more, and limit screen time.”
Nearly one out of every three children in the U.S. ages two to 19 is overweight or at risk of becoming overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Extra pounds can lead to life-long health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. In adults, overweight and obesity contribute to these and other chronic conditions, including certain cancers.
To learn more about the partnership, visit www.subwaykids.com. For more information about We Can!, visit http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov/.
We Can!(TM) (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition) is a national education program of families and communities coming together to promote healthy weight in children and youth through improved food choices, increased physical activity, and reduced screen time. We Can! was developed by the nation’s top research and health authority — the National Institutes of Health — and is a collaboration of four NIH institutes: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; and National Cancer Institute. The program provides parents, caregivers and communities — from the smallest towns to the largest cities — with ready-to-use, science-based tools, trainings and educational sessions that encourage healthy lifestyles. Today, more than 1,000 community sites have committed to offering We Can! science-based educational materials and curricula to youth and parents in their communities.
For more information about We Can!, visit http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov/ or call toll-free 866-35-WE CAN (866-359-3226).
Source: SUBWAY Restaurants
Web Site: http://www.subway.com/
