"I think this site is the coolest! The games are fun, and everything about it rocks!!!!!!"
This is what kids are saying about Kidnetic.com (http://kidnetic.com), an interactive and educational Web site designed to appeal to kids 9-12 and their parents to help prevent childhood overweight/obesity* by promoting healthy eating and physical activity.
"Back in 1999, we realized the number of overweight children was increasing at an alarming rate, and we wanted to do something that would help," said Susan Borra, RD, senior vice president of the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation. "That's why we went right to the experts -- the kids themselves and their parents -- to conduct research on how they felt and thought about nutrition and physical activity.
"One of the first things kids told us was that health information has to be presented in a way that is fun, cool, and not boring," continued Borra, who is also the principle author of an article about the research that was just published in the June issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (JADA). This research led to the creation of Kidnetic.com, which recently celebrated its one-year anniversary and welcomed its one-millionth visitor.
Keith Ayoob, EdD, RD, FADA, pediatric nutritionist, and one of seven scientific advisors to Kidnetic.com agrees that this approach makes sense, "I see how kids' eyes glaze over when we talk to them about nutrition. Kidnetic.com helps to make nutrition and physical activity fun. I think Kidnetic.com is a terrific site!"
Busy Buddy, Recipe Roundup, and Time Challenge are three of the most popular features of the site. Busy Buddy is an interactive, on-screen "buddy" who helps kids "tap into their own energy." Recipe Roundup includes recipes designed to be kid-friendly and appealing. Two of the most popular recipes are the "Wacky Wafflewich" and the "Fabulously Fruity Freeze." Time Challenge features exercises that kids can do both in front of the computer and throughout the house.
"The idea of challenging kids to be physically active in situations where they'd ordinarily be sedentary is very creative," said Russell Pate, MS, PhD, exercise physiologist, and Kidnetic.com scientific advisor. "It reinforces the idea that you don't have to go to the gym or playground to make physical activity part of your everyday lifestyle."
"Another very important finding that surprised us," added Borra, "is that kids in this age group still want involvement and support from their parents in making lifestyle choices." In order to address this need, Kidnetic.com has a special section just for parents that provides answers to frequently asked questions about nutrition and physical activity.
"When you think about it, parents and kids have more information and tools to talk about drugs and sex than they do healthy lifestyles and yet the statistics show that overweight and obesity have become major health problems," continued Borra. "We hope that Kidnetic.com helps parents to talk about the importance of a healthy lifestyle with their children."
There is no cost to use Kidnetic.com, and it is non-commercial. This means there is no advertising, nothing is for sale, and there are no links to any company or brand Web sites.
All content on Kidnetic.com is reviewed for scientific accuracy and appropriateness by each of five organizations that formed a partnership with the IFIC Foundation to create the site. These organizations are: the American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Sports Medicine, American Dietetic Association, International Life Sciences Institute Center for Health Promotion, and the National Recreation and Park Association.
The following organizations provide funding for Kidnetic.com in the form of unrestricted grants to the IFIC Foundation: The Coca-Cola Company; Hershey Foods Corporation; H.J. Heinz Foundation; Keebler Company; Kellogg Company; Kraft Foods; Masterfoods USA; McDonald's Corporation; National Confectioners Association; The Procter & Gamble Company; PepsiCo, Inc.; Sara Lee Foundation; and Snack Food Association.
Visit Kidnetic.com at http://kidnetic.com.
* The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines childhood overweight as a condition in which a child's weight is at or above the 95th percentile of body mass index for his or her age group.
The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation is the educational arm of IFIC. IFIC's mission is to communicate science-based information on food safety and nutrition issues to health and nutrition professionals, educators, journalists, government officials, and others providing information to consumers. IFIC and the IFIC Foundation are primarily supported by the food, beverage and agricultural industries. IFIC Foundation materials are available at http://ific.org.
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