- $40,000 grant to Prairie View A&M University’s 4-H Youth Development Program expands “Eat4-Health” partnership that trains Texas 4-Hers as health ambassadors to reach youth through positive messages about nutrition and exercise
- Partnership will fund specially made smoothie bikes and support youth-sponsored events designed to promote healthy eating and active living
HOUSTON--UnitedHealthcare and the 4-H Youth Development Program at Prairie View
A&M University are expanding a successful partnership called Eat4-Health
that helps tackle obesity by promoting healthy eating and an active
lifestyle among youth and families.
UnitedHealthcare is providing Prairie View A&M University’s Cooperative
Extension Program, which administers 4-H programs in Texas, a $40,000
grant to support youth healthy-living programs. A portion of the grant
is being used to purchase pedal-powered blender bikes that will be used
for fun, energetic events where young people can create their own
healthy smoothies through exercise. The specially made stationary bikes
are equipped with a blender mechanism that makes smoothies when pedaled.
The partnership expansion was announced at the annual Ralph Cooper’s Stars of the Future Basketball Tournament that took place at Cesar Chavez High School in Houston. During the tournament, 4-Hers, community leaders and UnitedHealthcare’s mascot Dr. Health E. Hound encouraged participants to create their own healthy snack in return for a little “sweat equity.”
At the basketball tournament, 4-H youth trained through the “Eat4-Health” program also distributed healthy smoothie recipes and helped hundreds of participating youth and families make their own healthy smoothies to burn calories and promote health.
Prior to the tournament, Prairie View A&M University’s 4-H Youth Development Program conducted an “Eat4-Health” youth health ambassador training session with captains and co-captains from each of the 14 participating basketball tournament teams. These newly trained youth health ambassadors will now lead workshops for their teammates on healthy living practices including tips for making healthy smoothies and staying active.
The grant, along with the smoothie bikes, will be used to support community events and programs in which youth and families can learn about easy ways to promote healthy lifestyles. Recipe cards, nutrition and physical activity information, and other resources will be distributed as part of the program. The goal is to encourage young people and their families to eat more nutritious foods and exercise regularly.
Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Program and 4-H are working together to implement the grant, in collaboration with and in support of U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition education programs. A plan has been developed to provide innovative, hands-on learning to target underserved communities in the state, led by 4-H and Extension educators, volunteers and teen leaders to encourage youth and community participation.
“The 4-H Program at Prairie View A&M University is pleased to continue working with UnitedHealthcare to create hands-on opportunities to promote active, healthy lifestyles among Texas youth,” said Dr. Alton B. Johnson, Dean and Director of Land Grant Programs in the College of Agriculture and Human Science. “The new pedal-powered bikes give our 4-H youth health ambassadors a fun new tool to help demonstrate easy ways to stay active and eat healthy.”
UnitedHealthcare employees will help organize and host many of the Eat4-Health events and assist in the implementation of projects that lead to positive, sustainable change at the community and individual level. The company has already provided Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Program $100,000 to support the Eat4-Health program since 2011.
“UnitedHealthcare is grateful for the opportunity to expand the Eat4-Health partnership in Texas, which is helping reach so many young people through innovative healthy living programs and educational events,” said Don Langer, President, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas. “These pedal-powered smoothie bikes are great ways to empower young people to make healthy, nutritious food choices and stay active.”
UnitedHealthcare is providing $520,000 to National 4-H Council to support youth healthy-living programs. In addition to Texas, other state 4-H programs receiving grants include Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Nebraska, Tennessee and Wisconsin. Eat4-Health, which began in 2011, has already reached more than 210,000 young people and families across nine states through a positive campaign that has trained thousands of 4-H teen youth health ambassadors to promote healthy lifestyles in their communities.
According to America’s Health Rankings®, an annual comprehensive assessment of the nation’s health on a state-by-state basis, obesity is a leading risk factor for diabetes, heart disease and many cancers. Texas ranks 32nd in obesity with nearly 30 percent of adults and more than 15 percent of youth estimated to be obese. Obesity continues to be at epidemic levels and is one of the fastest-growing health challenges confronting the nation.
The report can be viewed and downloaded at www.americashealthrankings.org.
About 4-H
4-H, the nation’s largest youth development and empowerment organization, cultivates confident kids who tackle the issues that matter most in their communities right now. In the United States, 4-H programs empower six million young people through the 109 land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension in more than 3,000 local offices serving every county and parish in the country. Outside the United States, independent, country-led 4-H organizations empower one million young people in more than 50 countries. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of the Cooperative Extension System and 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Learn more about 4-H at www.4-H.org.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 800,000 physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. Globally, UnitedHealthcare serves 45 million people in health benefits and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.
For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.
Contacts
UnitedHealthcare Molly McMillen, 952-931-6029 or Prairie View A&M University Dawn Burton, 713-797-7032 Health Coordinator Cooperative Extension Program
Source UnitedHealthcare through BUSINESS WIRE by press release©
The partnership expansion was announced at the annual Ralph Cooper’s Stars of the Future Basketball Tournament that took place at Cesar Chavez High School in Houston. During the tournament, 4-Hers, community leaders and UnitedHealthcare’s mascot Dr. Health E. Hound encouraged participants to create their own healthy snack in return for a little “sweat equity.”
At the basketball tournament, 4-H youth trained through the “Eat4-Health” program also distributed healthy smoothie recipes and helped hundreds of participating youth and families make their own healthy smoothies to burn calories and promote health.
Prior to the tournament, Prairie View A&M University’s 4-H Youth Development Program conducted an “Eat4-Health” youth health ambassador training session with captains and co-captains from each of the 14 participating basketball tournament teams. These newly trained youth health ambassadors will now lead workshops for their teammates on healthy living practices including tips for making healthy smoothies and staying active.
The grant, along with the smoothie bikes, will be used to support community events and programs in which youth and families can learn about easy ways to promote healthy lifestyles. Recipe cards, nutrition and physical activity information, and other resources will be distributed as part of the program. The goal is to encourage young people and their families to eat more nutritious foods and exercise regularly.
Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Program and 4-H are working together to implement the grant, in collaboration with and in support of U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition education programs. A plan has been developed to provide innovative, hands-on learning to target underserved communities in the state, led by 4-H and Extension educators, volunteers and teen leaders to encourage youth and community participation.
“The 4-H Program at Prairie View A&M University is pleased to continue working with UnitedHealthcare to create hands-on opportunities to promote active, healthy lifestyles among Texas youth,” said Dr. Alton B. Johnson, Dean and Director of Land Grant Programs in the College of Agriculture and Human Science. “The new pedal-powered bikes give our 4-H youth health ambassadors a fun new tool to help demonstrate easy ways to stay active and eat healthy.”
UnitedHealthcare employees will help organize and host many of the Eat4-Health events and assist in the implementation of projects that lead to positive, sustainable change at the community and individual level. The company has already provided Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Program $100,000 to support the Eat4-Health program since 2011.
“UnitedHealthcare is grateful for the opportunity to expand the Eat4-Health partnership in Texas, which is helping reach so many young people through innovative healthy living programs and educational events,” said Don Langer, President, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas. “These pedal-powered smoothie bikes are great ways to empower young people to make healthy, nutritious food choices and stay active.”
UnitedHealthcare is providing $520,000 to National 4-H Council to support youth healthy-living programs. In addition to Texas, other state 4-H programs receiving grants include Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Nebraska, Tennessee and Wisconsin. Eat4-Health, which began in 2011, has already reached more than 210,000 young people and families across nine states through a positive campaign that has trained thousands of 4-H teen youth health ambassadors to promote healthy lifestyles in their communities.
According to America’s Health Rankings®, an annual comprehensive assessment of the nation’s health on a state-by-state basis, obesity is a leading risk factor for diabetes, heart disease and many cancers. Texas ranks 32nd in obesity with nearly 30 percent of adults and more than 15 percent of youth estimated to be obese. Obesity continues to be at epidemic levels and is one of the fastest-growing health challenges confronting the nation.
The report can be viewed and downloaded at www.americashealthrankings.org.
About 4-H
4-H, the nation’s largest youth development and empowerment organization, cultivates confident kids who tackle the issues that matter most in their communities right now. In the United States, 4-H programs empower six million young people through the 109 land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension in more than 3,000 local offices serving every county and parish in the country. Outside the United States, independent, country-led 4-H organizations empower one million young people in more than 50 countries. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of the Cooperative Extension System and 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Learn more about 4-H at www.4-H.org.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 800,000 physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. Globally, UnitedHealthcare serves 45 million people in health benefits and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.
For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.
Contacts
UnitedHealthcare Molly McMillen, 952-931-6029 or Prairie View A&M University Dawn Burton, 713-797-7032 Health Coordinator Cooperative Extension Program
Source UnitedHealthcare through BUSINESS WIRE by press release©
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