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2nd Case Study: Kidz Bite Back: A Kid-Created, Kid-Led, Kid-Spread Movement (childhood obesity prevention)
Kidz Bite Back is a kid-created, kid-led, kid-spread movement to educate America on Big Fat Industries, Couch Potato Companies and the basics of being healthy.
Kidz educate their friends, families and neighbors on how Big Fat Industries (fast food, soft drink, junk food) target kids with billions in advertising, marketing and free toys to get them to eat and drink their stuff all the time. Kidz can eat and drink their stuff, but only in moderation – the only healthy way to do it.
Kidz also spread the word 0n how Couch Potato Companies (natl. TV networks, video game companies) try to get kids to sit on the couch all day, everyday watching TV and playing video games. Couch Potato Companies have literally engineered activity out of kids’ lives. Kidz can watch TV and play video games, but only in moderation - the only healthy way to do it.
And Kidz tell everyone about Kidz Creed, the nation’s simplest formula for kids to live healthy.
Big Fat Industries and Couch Potato Companies are the first counter-marketing campaigns for kids ages 9-12. The Kidz Bite Back preliminary evaluation results indicate kids understand the counter-marketing message and can effectively communicate it to their friends and families.
Kidz Bite Back is being formally, independently evaluated by University of South Florida, College of Public Health as part of a three-year scientific study, available Summer, 2010. Year-two preliminary results include success in:
- Using counter-marketing/advertising with students aged 9-12
- Developing a kid-created, kid-led, kid-spread grassroots movement among 4,000+ 4th and 5th graders
- Students reported eating less fast food and playing less video games
- Parents reported:
- Their families eating less fast food, soft drinks and junk food
- Their families watching less TV and playing less video games
- Thinking more negatively regarding how much fast food, soft drink and junk food companies care about the health of kids
d&a’s Kidz Bite Back Movement was recently awarded a Strategic Alliance grant via the Hillsborough County Health Department. This has provided funding for d&a to leverage the grassroots movement of 5,000+ kids and 7,500+ parents in Kidz Bite Back to change policy.
This will be the first time in the nation that a grassroots movement of this size with this age group has ever been used in an attempt to change policy. Candidly, this year’s definition of success involves changing school policies – baby steps. But next year’s effort, which is projected to involve 50,000+ kids at 200+ schools, will have more ambitious goals of changing legislation – big boy and big girl steps. Can you imagine what d&a’s Kidz Bite Back Movement – working with its partners in public health, children’s hospitals and foundations – will do the following year?
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