Allen Rossum Continues the Fight Against Youth Obesity!
Please join me in addressing childhood obesity! It's important to me that schools help children make healthy choices. This is why I support ensuring that food and drinks sold in schools meet up-to-date nutrition standards. Click here to tell your Members of Congress that you are with me on this issue:
http://takeaction.cspinet.org/campaign/schoolfoodspetition
Click here for more information about this important child nutrition bill: www.schoolfoods.org
Allen Rossum's Healthy Kids
3700 Crestwood Parkway, Suite 460
Duluth, GA 30096
770.441.5050 - Office
770.441.3050 - Fax
Athlete
When Allen became a father himself, he realized firsthand how much influence parents have on the choices their children make. He became aware that the habits we develop at an early age shape our whole outlook on life. Our choice about the things we eat and drink can and do affect our health, not only now but in the future. The Allen Rossum Healthy Kids Klub was established in early 2003 with the purpose of providing young people with educational information and physical training, which can be life-changing and lead to long, productive and healthy lives.
Today, Allen and his wife Angela have their hands full with their four-year old twin daughters, Alexa and Avian and two-year-old daughter, Trinity. As both parents and professionals, the Rossums recognize the many factors that may contribute to unhealthy lifestyles among today's youth - and they want to make truly positive and lasting contributions. As a result, when the curriculum calls for healthy recipes to be demonstrated, Allen dons his chef's hat and leads the "Chef Allen" segment to prepare his own favorite healthy snacks. And when the program calls for activity, he can be found running, biking, and jumping rope along with the children.
2004 was a year of great strides for the Foundation:
*The Healthy Kids Klub newsletter, filled with Foundation news, program updates and healthy recipes, was launched and has been distributed to over 2,000 households.
*175 Healthy Kids Klub members participated in the YMCA's Healthy Kids Day and enjoyed a range of activities from Tae Kwon Do and dance to presentations by Life University professors and healthy snacks.
*The Sam's Club in Hiram, GA hosted Allen's first annual Chili Cook-Off with over 200 family members participating in the tailgate-styled fundraising event.
*Allen was a lead advocate for Recess Bill 1013 which would ensure that elementary and middle school students throughout the state of Georgia receive at least one daily fitness break.
*With the Athletes Helping Youth Weekend in its second year, nearly 200 attendees joined the Mystery Boat Cruise at Lake Lanier and the Celebrity Golf Tournament at Bear's Best Golf Club, raising $73,00 to partially benefit the Healthy Kids Klub.
*60 supporters came together for the program's first-ever Celebrity Poker Tournament, which raised $5,000 and featured Atlanta Falcons players and cheerleaders as guests.
*The Strategic Wealth Impact Player Awards banquet was held to honor the year's greatest contributors for HKK as well as several other Atlanta area nonprofit organizations. Allen Rossum's Healthy Kids Klub has touched over 2,500 children, teaching them the importance of engaging in healthy activities; maintaining a healthy dietary plan; and refraining from unhealthy substances. The Pro-Bowl punt returner is committed to combating youth obesity, which research shows, leads to long-term health complications. The Mobile Fitness 4 Kids program takes health education to uncharted levels by going into underserved communities to meet with children and parents alike.
*In 2007, The Healthy Kids Klub will launch the Fitness Scholars Program.
Healthy Kids Klub
Allen Rossum's Healthy Kids Klub promotes healthy lifestyles for youth by providing athletic programs, a healthy dietary plan, and abstinence from unhealthy substances.
Mission
The Mission of the Healthy Kids Klub us to prevent obesity in youth by providing healthy activities, promoting a healthy dietary plan, and encouraging abstinence from unhealthy substances.
Goal
The Goal of the Allen Rossum Healthy Kids Klub is to provide a positive experience that will give kids the chance to choose lifelong activities that will be healthy alternatives to watching TV and playing video games.
Rossum the Athlete
Allen Rossum is one of the best in the business- the special teams business, that is. Rossum holds the Falcons record for career punt return yards (1,330), career kickoff return yards (4,128), and punts returned for touchdowns. Allen was named to his first Pro Bowl selection in 2004 and won the NFL's Fastest man competition while in Hawaii. Rossum also holds an NFL post season record for total punt return yards in a single game (152). This superstar athlete was born Allen Rossum on October 22, 1975 in Dallas, Texas. He attended Skyline High School and then went onto attend the University of Notre Dame, where he graduated early with a dual degree in Business and COmputer Science. He and his wife, Angela, have four beautiful daughters: Trinity Amaia, Talia Alyse, and twins Alexa and Avian.
Passion for Philanthropy
Allen's work against youth obesity began in 2003 with the launch of Rossum's Healthy Kids Klub foundation (HKK). The Healthy Kids Klub helps youth ages 5-12 learn the importance of leading healthy and productive lives through physical activity, nutritious meals and snacks. Allen takes his program on the road through his "Mobile Fitness 4 Kids" initiative. Mobile Fitness 4 Kids is an interactive curriculum implemented at YMCA's, churches, schools and other community based organizations. Through his partnership with the YMCA, Allen has donated more than 208 youth memberships to various clubs including Butler Street YMCA in Atlanta.
For the second year in a row allen teamed up with Grammy Award Winner, Usher Raymond IV, to conduct a healthy kids night for 300 youth at Morriss BRown Collge. The eveing included field games, relay races and a flag football scrimmage. Given, Allen's extensive work as a philanthropist he was invited to speak at Usher's New Look launch in July 2005 and has had the privilege of introducing music powerhouse and media mogul, Quincy Jones.
Allen is also a founding member of Athletes HElping Youth and for the past five years has chaired the annual fundraising and community impact weekend. AHY's goal is to position professional athletes as leaders by raising visibility and creatig solutions to serious issues impacting youth. Allen leverages their celebrity to achieve increased global social chnage. AHY has raised over $1,000,000 to provide grants to athlete-led foundationss and other nonprofitorganizations addressing local and national youth problems such as obesity, violence, education, and low-income housing. Since its inception, AHY has served nearly 8,000 youth through its grant-funding, events, programs and community service projects.
His philanthropic work has been featured nationally through such media sources as Monday Night Football, COld Pizza, Steven A. SMith Show, ESPN News and Fox Sports Net.
The Leader and Advocate
To date, Allen has challenged more than 2,500 youth to live healthier lives by speaking out on the importance of exercise, making smart choices, and the battle his own family has experienced with fighting obesity. After nearly four years Allen has taken his commitment to reverse the growing trend of youth obesity to another level by co-founding the Professional Athletes Council along with Jerry Stackhouse of the Dallas Mavericks. The Launch of the Professional Athletes Council in New York proved to be the beginning of a ground breaking initiative, organized and led by professional athletes. Not only were Allen and Jerry able to bring professional athletes together for one cause but the country took notice, as evidence by media coverage which reached more than 5.5 million viewers in 150 markets.
In addition, an impressive group has stepped up to partner with PAC including Action for Healthy kids, Public Health Institute, Kids Fitness Challenge, California Department of Health and UCLA. These groups recognize the power of PAC and have pledged to assist in reversing the growing trend of youth obesity in America. In four short months 30 professional athletes from the NBA,NFL,MLB,MLS, and NASCAR have joined PAC.
In 2003, Allen was lead advocate for GA House Bill 1013 (The Recess Bill) with State Representaive 54 Sally Harrell. The Recess Bill would have ensured Georgia elementary and middle school students receive at least one daily, supervised 15-minute break for physical activity. Although, the Bill did not pass successfully it brought light to an issue that at the time received very little attention. "I remember parents laughing and asking why is there a need for a recess bill? They had no idea their kids weren't receiving recess during the day. Needless to say, their laughter turned to anger when the children confirmed the need," recalls Rossum.
Awards and Recognition
Allen has recieved numerous awards including the 2004 National Kids Day America Empowerment Award, 2005 Falcons Man of the Year, and the Fatherhood Award from NFI in 2005, past recipients include Tim McGraw, James Earl Jones and Jim Kelly.
Allen Rossum's Game Time Tour- Kids versus Obesity- is a nine city speaking tour across the United States from January to mid-summer. The tour is designed to:
*Draw Attention to the nation's youth obesity epidemic
* Highlight successful athlete-led best practices around youth obesity
*Share industry best practices to parents, educators and public health professionals
* Increase the number of professional athletes committed to fighting youth obesity
*Promote Instant Recess Initiative
* Promote Nutrition via Chef Allen
The Mobile Fitness 4 Kids is a program that helps boys and girls, ages 5-12, to learn about the importance of healthy activities, healthy food and after-school snacks. During the Mobile Fitness 4 Kids program kids are invited to learn new activities, watch "Chef Allen" prepare healthy snacks, and enjoy discovering a whole new way to be healthy. Mobile Fitness 4 Kids is designed to show kids (and their parents) that being healthy can also be fun!
What makes us different?
Healthy Kids Klub believes that part of its uniqueness comes from:
" Being close to home, look for it to be offered at a church or YMCA near you!
" Giving colorful trading cards, featuring kids' favorite professional athletes, as an incentive for starting to live a healthy live
" Participating in healthy new activities like karate, pilates, jump rope, basketball, and more.
" Learning that "JUST SAYING NO" isn't all that tough to do!
" Helping parent learn to shop for healthy foods, cook healthy meals, and set a healthy example for their kids.
What Kids Get From Mobile Fitness 4 Kids program:
" Their own Healthy Kids Klub T-shirt
" Healthy snacks they can learn to make at home
" Autographs form their favorite professional athlete
" Colorful trading cards
" Their own journal for keeping track of their new activities and the great new foods they get to eat.
This effort continues year after year and has multiplied by the launch of a national pilot, Fitness Scholars Program.
For more information Gavin McGuire, Senior Program Director at gmcguire@swiconsulting.com.
Chef Allen provides youth with healthy options when making dietary choices or preparing after school snacks and meals.
Our choices about the things we eat and drink can and do affect our health, not only now but in the future.
Program Description
As a part of the Healthy Kids Klub, Rossum has established Fitness Scholars, a national pilot program. The Fitness Scholars Program will recruit 53 area high school and college students who excel academically and demonstrate a commitment to health and wellness. The Fitness Scholars are trained to implement Mobile Fitness 4 Kids at neighborhood elementary schools or after-school sites. Student leaders use their positive influence to get kids moving and excited about healthy options. The scope of Rossum's work is now multiplied 100-fold and each year as the Fitness Scholars Program grows so will the impact of Rossum's Healthy Kids Klub and the Mobile Fitness Program.
*500,000 Georgia youth are battling obesity?
*If a child is obese at age 12, they have a 3 in 4 chance of being an obese adult?
*American kids are eating high-fat, low-nutrient foods that deny them necessary vitamins and minerals.
*Virginia is the only state that has mandatory physical education classes for kids grades K-12.
*35% of youth ages 12-17 watch 5 plus hours of T.V. per day.
The serious health effects associated with youth obesity?
Many adverse health effects associated with overweight are observed in children and adolescents. Overweight during childhood and particularly adolescence is related to increased morbidity and mortality in later life.
Asthma
* Prevalence of overweight is reported to be significantly higher in children and adolescents with moderate to severe asthma compared to a peer group.
Diabetes (Type 2)
*Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents has increased dramatically in a short period. The parallel increase of obesity in children and adolescents is reported to be the most significant factor for the rise in diabetes.
Hypertension
* Persistently elevated blood pressure levels have been found to occur about 9 times more frequently among obese children and adolescents (ages 5 to 18) than in non-obese.
Orthopedic Complications
* Among growing youth, bone and cartilage in the process of development are not strong enough to bear excess weight. As a result, a variety of orthopedic complications occur in children and adolescents with obesity. In young children, excess weight can lead to bowing and overgrowth of leg bones.
Psychosocial Effects & Stigma
* Adolescent females who are overweight have reported experiences with stigmatization such as direct and intentional weight-related teasing, jokes and derogatory name calling, as well as less intentional, potentially hurtful comments by peers, family members, employers and strangers.
* Overweight children and adolescents report negative assumptions made about them by others, including being inactive or lazy, being strong and tougher than others, not having feelings, and being unclean.
Sleep Apnea
*Sleep apnea, the absence of breathing during sleep, occurs in about 7 percent of children with obesity. Deficits in logical thinking are common in children with obesity and sleep apnea.
These fast facts are documented by The American Obesity Association . Visit www.obesity.org
Desperately Needed: Instant Recess
Draft date: 1/19/07
By and large, Americans have become sedentary, overweight and unfit during the past three decades.
Why is this? After all, the number of us participating in physical activity during our leisure time is essentially unchanged. What has changed is the amount of activity required in going about our daily lives-our successes in engineering, marketing and information technology have nearly eliminated the need, almost literally, for movement. Too many of us go from home to car to office chair and computer, then from chair to car to couch and our TV remote controls.]
This stands in contrast to our prehistoric and, more recently, agrarian ancestors, for whom running from predators and finding food and shelter each day required more "calorie burning" than most of us do in a week!
So, we're genetically "hard-wired" to prefer being sedentary, for much the same reason that we're programmed to prefer sweet, fatty and salty foods our genes evolved to accommodate frequent famine and excessive manual labor, and haven't had time to adjust to the obesity-producing smorgasbord of cheap and readily available foods, and our increasingly sedentary work, leisure and transportation.
Now, here's what's worse: our kids have become sedentary, overweight and unfit too. Why is this? For all the couch potato reasons mentioned above, plus add years of education funding cuts that hit hardest at so-called non-essential subjects like PE and extras like recess. Most elementary schools don't even have a PE teacher anymore! And many schools are cutting back on physical activity to focus on standardized tests.
As a result, playgrounds are cracked asphalt, littered with trash, and crowded with "temporary" classroom trailers; and the few PE classes still in existence are crowded with 40 to 50 students, with all but the athletically inclined spending most of the class changing clothes, lining up for roll call, waiting their turn, and standing around gossiping.
One result is that the term "adult-onset" diabetes is now a misnomer following the encroachment of the disease into childhood. Twenty-five years ago, you'd almost never see a case of Type 2 diabetes in adolescence! At that time, only about one in 20 kids was obese. Now obese kids are in the majority in a lot of urban schools, and many are struggling with Type 2.
About the only way this is going to change is to make physical activity essentially unavoidable, and nutritious foods as inexpensive and accessible as fat- and sugar-laden selections. It will especially require a societal seed change in the way we approach physical activity, re-integrating it into our school- or work-days in small doses, and with a little fun and socializing as added ingredients.
We have a plan responding to a recent Institute of Medicine report calling for just such a change, the Professional Athletes' Council, a collaboration of professional athletes formed in 2005 who are determined to reverse rising youth obesity rates, has recruited the UCLA School of Public Health's Center to Eliminate Health Disparities, Oakland-based Public Health Institute, and the Los Angeles County and California state health departments, to assist in developing and disseminating just such an initiative. It's called Instant Recess, a public-private partnership that aims to make prolonged sitting no longer socially acceptable, for adults or kids. We see it as a critical first step toward arresting the "rising tide" of youth obesity. At the California Childhood Obesity Conference in Anaheim beginning this week (January 24), and at the Kids Fitness Challenge event at the Rose Bowl this Saturday (January 27), we will introduce and record our prototype recess break, the Rossum Kick-Off Lift Off. The Lift Off is a research proven strategy for getting sedentary children and adults moving-a 10-minute structured bout of group aerobic and resistance exercises to music incorporating simple moves that you can do anywhere, anytime, in any attire that won't hurt you and you don't have to be athletic to enjoy.
These types of breaks have already been embraced by many in the Los Angeles health and social services communities, and elsewhere, and we intend to introduce new athlete signature Lift Offs continually throughout the year during halftime and pre-game shows of professional sports games, professional meetings and other events. We also plan to partner with the fitness and health care industries to disseminate CDs and DVDs of these Instant Recess breaks in public schools and after-school programs, and work together to bring back active PE and recess.
When we were growing up, we had the chance to cultivate our athletic talents on school playgrounds, courts and playing fields. Not every kid will make it to college or pro sports, but we must give our children a real chance to be healthy. It's our hope that this initiative will help everyone recapture a little recess every day!
Allen Rossum, NFL Atlanta Falcons
Founder, Healthy Kids Klub, Inc.
Co-Founder, Professional Athletes Council
Antronette (Toni) Yancey, MD, MPH
Associate Professor and Co-Director
Center to Eliminate Health Disparities
UCLA School of Public Health
Allen Rossum's Healthy Kids Klub is appreciative to the individuals, coporations and foundations who support our mission, goals and outcomes towards encouraging healthy lifestyles.
Athletes Helping Youth
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
The Professional Athletes Council
The Triple Threat Foundation
The Home Depot
Usher's New Look
NFL Charities
A special thank you to all of those who continue to support the Healthy Kids Klub.
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