PBS and YMCA of the USA Join Forces for National Health Awareness and Action Campaign

PBS and YMCA of the USA Join Forces for National Health Awareness and Action Campaign

PBS Health Campaign Launches With Heart Disease Special and Continues in April With Focus on Obesity

CHICAGO and WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- In the face of increasingly critical health problems, PBS and YMCA of the USA have formed an innovative partnership to help Americans "take one step" toward better health. YMCA of the USA has joined as a community partner in Take One Step: A PBS Health Campaign, which launches this week and will include two PBS documentary programs and extensive community outreach programs this year. Leveraging the strengths of the nation's public television stations as well as YMCAs in communities across the country, the partnership has the potential to reach millions of Americans, giving them the information, inspiration, tactics and support they need to improve their health.

The partnership kicks off with the PBS premiere of THE HIDDEN EPIDEMIC: HEART DISEASE IN AMERICA during National Heart Month on Valentine's Day, February 14, followed by FAT: WHAT NO ONE IS TELLING YOU on April 11. The community outreach efforts in conjunction with these two programs will focus on specific segments of the population, targeting 35-70 year olds at risk for heart disease and emphasizing early intervention with nutrition and exercise for children up to age 12 to help them avoid obesity.

The Take One Step campaign will provide public television stations and YMCAs with materials to help educate their members and communities about the dangers and preventive measures of heart disease and obesity and inspire the public to lower their risk for these critical health conditions.

"Partnering with YMCA of the USA is an ideal opportunity for the 348 public television stations across the country to connect with a leading community resource that is working to improve the health of all Americans," states PBS President Paula Kerger. "The PBS Health Campaign was designed to raise awareness of critical health issues in America, including heart disease, obesity, cancer, and depression. The YMCA is a natural partner for PBS, with its long history of heath-and-wellness innovation and 2,617 YMCAs across the nation."

"Due to chronic disease and obesity, America's health is under siege," said Neil Nicoll, president and CEO of YMCA of the USA. "As the nation's oldest and largest community service organization with a mission dedicated to health and wellness, the YMCA is uniquely qualified and positioned to address our country's health crisis, but we know that no single organization can solve this problem. By forging partnerships with respected organizations like PBS that also are committed to improving America's health, the YMCA can multiply the impact and effectiveness of our work."

This partnership supports YMCA Activate America(TM), a national initiative that is rallying YMCAs across the country to help children and adults discover and sustain healthier ways to live, especially those who struggle to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle for themselves and/or their family.

The following statistics outline how many people are affected by heart disease:

* Heart disease is the top reason for American deaths.
* Twenty-three million Americans have heart disease, 13 times the number
of people with Alzheimer's.
* Heart disease is the number 1 killer of women: nearly 500,000 a year,
more than the next six diseases combined.
* About 700,000 Americans will have a stroke this year.

The statistics for obesity are just as alarming:
* According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 127
million Americans, or 64% of the population, are overweight. Half of
these Americans are obese, meaning their weight is dangerous to their
health. These numbers have doubled in the past 25 years.
* Deaths caused by obesity have increased by 76% since 1991.
* Fifteen percent of children ages 6-19 are overweight. Twenty years
ago, only 5% were.

Based on the model of the Emmy Award-winning program THE FORGETTING: A PORTRAIT OF ALZHEIMER'S and its extensive companion outreach project, the PBS Health Campaign's programming includes a 90-minute documentary followed by 30- minute televised panel discussion. THE HIDDEN EPIDEMIC: HEART DISEASE IN AMERICA, set to premiere on February 14 at 9 p.m. ET (check local listings), spotlights the heart disease crisis and is followed immediately at 10:30 p.m. ET by TAKE ONE STEP FOR A HEALTHY HEART, hosted by Larry King of CNN's Larry King Live and the Larry King Cardiac Foundation. The panel features some of the country's top medical experts and physicians, including best-selling author Dr. Michael Roizen.

The outreach around THE HIDDEN EPIDEMIC combines a variety of online tools with partnerships tied to national organizations with the goal of educating citizens on diagnosis and treatment and inspiring them to take active steps toward a healthier lifestyle. Additional partners and affiliates include AARP, America on the Move, Reader's Digest magazine, and WomenHeart, each of which will help raise awareness about these issues and provide resources and information to communities across the country.

FAT: WHAT NO ONE IS TELLING YOU, on April 11 at 9 p.m. ET, narrated by Meredith Vieira, gives viewers a window into the intense human dramas that rage inside people who have been labeled obese and how hard their weight problem is to solve. Even the most disciplined effort is beyond the abilities of many people -- not because of weakness, but because of the complex mix of environmental factors and biology that make it a lot easier to gain weight than to lose it. At 10:30 p.m. ET, Dr. Nancy Snyderman hosts the follow-up program TAKE ONE STEP FOR A HEALTHY FAMILY, which offers parents valuable strategies to head off childhood obesity and establish healthful nutritional and exercise habits for life. Additional partners include Univision and America on the Move, who will provide online tools and resources for individuals and families.

DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION CREDITS AND WEBSITE

THE HIDDEN EPIDEMIC: HEART DISEASE IN AMERICA is produced by WGBH Boston for PBS and is written, directed, and produced by Elizabeth Arledge. TAKE ONE STEP FOR A HEALTHY HEART WITH LARRY KING is produced by Larkin McPhee for WGBH Boston. The executive producer is Laurie Donnelly. Funding for both programs is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television viewers.

FAT: WHAT NO ONE IS TELLING YOU is produced by Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) and executive produced by Naomi Boak. It is produced by the Emmy Award-winning team of Tom and Linda Spain, and directed by Emmy-nominated Andrew Fredericks. Funding for FAT: WHAT NO ONE IS TELLING YOU is provided by GlaxoSmithKline, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers.

For more information about Take One Step: a PBS Health Campaign visit pbs.org/takeonestep For more information about YMCA Activate America visit ymca.net/activateamerica

PBS is a media enterprise that serves 354 public noncommercial television stations and reaches almost 90 million people each week through on-air and online content. Bringing diverse viewpoints to television and the Internet, PBS provides high-quality documentary and dramatic entertainment, and consistently dominates the most prestigious award competitions. PBS is a leading provider of educational materials for K-12 teachers, and offers a broad array of other educational services. PBS' premier kids' TV programming and Web site, PBS KIDS Online (pbskids.org), continue to be parents' and teachers' most trusted learning environments for children. More information about PBS is available at pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet. For more information, visit pbs.org

YMCA of the USA

YMCA of the USA is the national resource office for America's 2,617 YMCAs, collectively the nation's largest community service organization and largest provider of child care. YMCAs serve more than 20.2 million people each year, including 9.5 million children, uniting men, women and children of all ages, faiths, backgrounds, abilities and income levels. From urban areas to small towns, YMCAs are a place for people to belong, serving America's communities for more than 150 years by "building healthy spirit, mind and body for all." Visit ymca.net to find your local YMCA.

Press Contacts
Ellen Dockser, WGBH Boston, 617-300-5338, ellen_dockser@wgbh.org
Carrie Johnson, PBS, 703-739-5129, cjohnson@pbs.org
Leah Pouw, YMCA of the USA, 312-419-8325, leah.pouw@ymca.net
Karen Salerno, Kelly & Salerno/TPT, 914-239-7204/7202,
karen@kellysalerno.com

Source: WGBH Boston

CONTACT: Ellen Dockser of WGBH Boston, +1-617-300-5338,
ellen_dockser@wgbh.org; Carrie Johnson of PBS, +1-703-739-5129,
cjohnson@pbs.org; Leah Pouw of YMCA of the USA, +1-312-419-8325,
leah.pouw@ymca.net; Karen Salerno of Kelly & Salerno for TPT, +1-914-239-7204,
or +1-914-239-7202, karen@kellysalerno.com

Web site: http://www.wgbh.org/
http://pbs.org/takeonestep
http://ymca.net/activateamerica
http://pbskids.org/
http://pbs.org/
http://tpt.org/

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