The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) announces that it has been awarded a $250,000 grant from MetLife Foundation, to promote community and regional approaches to obesity prevention. Through the grant, AAP will launch two national grant programs, which are focused on encouraging both established pediatricians and pediatricians-in-training to develop collaborative methods to educate communities about the health effects of childhood obesity.

The first program will offer "Healthy Active Living Chapter Grants," awarding five AAP chapters with $20,000 grants to initiate projects at state and local levels. The winning programs will encourage pediatricians to address obesity by building strong partnerships and working with children and families to make healthier lifestyle choices by eating better and exercising daily. These chapters will work collaboratively to focus on obesity prevention in early childhood and address health disparities around the issue.

The second program provides "Obesity Prevention Residency Training Grants," which will help pediatricians-in-training gain experience working on innovative, community-based initiatives that address obesity prevention. Five residency programs will receive grants up to $15,000 to enhance their community pediatrics training programs, with a goal to develop lasting partnerships between the residency program and the community.

Childhood obesity is a serious health condition:

• One in three children and youth (ages 2-19) in the United States are already overweight or obese.
• About 30 percent of the pediatric population (2-19 years old) has a Body Mass Index (BMI) at or above the 85th percentile.
• Health problems associated with overweight and obesity include cardiovascular diseases, asthma and chronic lifelong diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
• Overweight and obese children are more likely to become obese adults.

Preventing obesity in children plays a significant role in curbing adult obesity, and pediatricians' efforts to promote healthy lifestyles to parents and children can have a positive impact across the nation.

"We are grateful for the opportunity to work with MetLife Foundation on these programs," said David T. Tayloe, Jr., MD, FAAP, president of the AAP. "We believe that physical activity, access to healthy foods, and the obesity-prevention strategies that pediatricians can teach children and parents are critical to success in the campaign against obesity."

"Pediatricians are an important source of health advice for families," said Dennis White, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation. "We are pleased to support this initiative, which is aimed at establishing good eating and exercise habits in children at an early age -- habits that can have a profound impact on the health and well-being of the next generation of Americans."

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org.

MetLife Foundation was established by MetLife in 1976 to carry on its longstanding tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Grants support health, education, civic and cultural programs. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.metlife.org

MetLife Foundation

MetLife Foundation

MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 by MetLife to carry on its long-standing tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. MetLife and MetLife Foundation have invested more than $15 million for Alzheimer's research and public information programs, including $10 million through the Awards for Medical Research program. Working with the Alzheimer's Association, the Foundation has supported caregiving videos, resources for the Hispanic community and the Safe Return identification program, which addresses the problem of senior wandering. The Foundation has expanded its focus on aging issues, including helping people remain physically and mentally fit and remaining engaged in the community. It also supports programs addressing issues of caregiving, intergenerational activities and volunteer opportunities. Grants support health, education, and civic and cultural programs. More information about MetLife Foundation is available at www.metlife.org.

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