WellPoint Foundation Awards Grants to OASIS to Expand Unique Active Generatio...( ST. LOUIS Mo. Feb. 25 /- A unique int...),Health

ST. LOUIS, Mo., Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- A unique, intergenerational program developed by OASIS to enlist older adults in the fight against childhood obesity will be expanded to eight cities during the next two years with a $313,000 grant from the WellPoint Foundation, Inc.

Active Generations promotes physical activity and healthy eating for low-income children and their families. The program reaches children in grades 3 to 5 in after-school settings using teams of volunteers age 50 and older who offer weekly sessions on healthier lifestyles. Sessions include a lesson, vigorous physical activity and a healthy snack.

"The WellPoint Foundation is dedicated to working with organizations to identify and target public health concerns," said Caz Matthews, president, WellPoint Foundation. "With Active Generations, OASIS takes aim at childhood obesity, a serious and costly public health care epidemic, using a resource that is not only plentiful, but also extremely powerful in this country: mature adults who want to make a difference."

Active Generations uses CATCH - Coordinated Approach to Child Health, an evidence-based, nationally-recognized curriculum to measure outcomes for children, including their knowledge before and at the end of the program about healthy food choices and physical activity.

"The CATCH curriculum has been proven to impact healthy behaviors in children, which is why we chose to use the program as part of Active Generations," said Danilea Werner, National Health Director at The OASIS Institute. "OASIS has a strong commitment to provide health promotion programs for older adults that result in positive long-term health changes."

Active Generations, which was successfully piloted in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and San Antonio, Texas, will be expanded to OASIS centers in St. Louis, Missouri; Albany, New York; Los Angeles, California; and San Diego County, California
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