A GROWING PROBLEM
Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in developed countries. Twenty five percent of children in the US are overweight and 11 percent are obese.
According to the latest data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, childhood obesity levels have leveled off during the past decade but remain alarmingly high. About 17 percent of school-age children and adolescents are classified as obese.
DISCOVERING A SOLUTION
“I have devoted my company and my life helping adults lead a fit and healthy lifestyle,” says Chalene Johnson, Owner/CEO of Powder Blue Productions: Creators of Turbo Kick®, PiYo™ and Hip Hop Hustle™ fitness formats, as well as consumer fitness company health programs for BeachBody: Turbo Jam™ and ChaLEAN Extreme™. “I now come to realize that many adults with weight or health issues have dealt with these issues their whole lives. Perhaps the best way to combat the prevalence of adult obesity is to take preventative measures: Get them started when they are young. We should focus on health and fitness education, as well as good eating habits with children.”
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obese children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults. For example, One study found that approximately 80% of children who were overweight at ages 10–15 years were obese adults at age 25 years. Another study found that 25% of obese adults were overweight as children. The latter study also found that if overweight begins before 8 years of age, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe.
Chalene continues to explain that in order to make a change for the future, the community must raise awareness to the “growing” problem of childhood obesity, so educational programs can get funding and implemented into local communities, schools, pediatric centers, as well as reeducating adults so they can reinforce a healthy lifestyle in the home. “Kids learn many of their good and bad habits from the parents”states Chalene.
IDEA TO CREATE A BUZZ: FLASHMOB
In efforts to raise awareness Chalene banded together with her community (and fitness community) to plan a seemingly unplanned event: A Flashmob (or Flash mob).
A Flashmob is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and pointless act for a brief time and then quickly disperse. The term Flashmob is generally applied only to gatherings organized via telecommunications, social media, or viral emails.
Chalene and her team organized a group: Alex Park Turbo Flashmob. A Facebook page was created. Next with the Power of social media as the communication medium, created awareness by using her connections and “followers/friends” in the Orange County fitness network and their, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and such accounts. She had everyone communicate the following:
We want to raise awareness of childhood obesity…
Alex Park BLAST THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW: http://www.facebook.com/turboflashmobOnce people click the link that takes them to the Facebook page, they can read and learn the details of the Flashmob: time, day, choreography, and more. They can then follow directions there to post, forward and “spread the word” about the event.
FLASHMOB EVENT
Feeling apprehensive the evening before the Flashmob event, Chalene expresses her concern that only four people may show to participate. “Four people don’t really make for a good Mob,” states Chalene. This is the first time she has relied on social media to communicate and organize such an event and the outcome is ambiguous.
It’s 2:49 p.m. Saturday, February 27th, 2010 – It is not a typical day at the Mission Viejo Mall in Mission Viejo, California. One passer by comments, “Wow, the mall is more crowded than it is around Christmas!” As one pushes his/her way through a sea of people towards the center of the mall, the meeting point for the demonstration, familiar faces abound. However, as instructed no one is to make a “big deal” of seeing familiar faces and friends – remember this is just a normal day shopping at the mall. After finally reaching the center/meeting point, the sound of the Mission Mall fountain is stifled under the steady hum of clamoring voices. Mall cops and security begin convening towards the center of the mall. They have been told by onlookers on the escalator and those lined up along the outer rims of the second floor looking down that “Hannah Montana is coming” or some other celebrity.
Chalene shows up around 2:55 p.m., along with her four friends and stroller covered by a blanket concealing, not a baby, but a boom-box! Much to her surprise the social media buzz communicating this event worked. Actually according to Chalene, "it worked a little too well."
The following is the outcome…
POST ATTEMPT TO RAISE AWARENESS:
Although attempts to complete the Flashmob routine were halted by authorities, the message was presented. The community did rally to raise awareness of childhood obesity. Further, Chalene decided to piggy-back the day's events utilizing social media again(as it was so successful to create an awareness of about the event). In addition, other fitness instructors began creating smaller flashmobs in their communities to raise awareness of childhood obesity. They are posting them on Youtube and Facebook as well with links that tie back to the original Turbo Flashmob attempt.
