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executive summary

introductionAmericans live in a nation where reward and unhealthy food have become one and the same. Through birthday cakes, party trays and anniversary dinners, food and celebration have married in a nearly inseparable pairing. And it’s no surprise.

Food makes us happy.

It’s comforting, it’s often shared with family and friends and it creates memories. One fast-food giant even labels its kids’ entrees “Happy Meals.”

Food is a natural reward: it satisfies our most basic need. Without it, we could not survive. A sense of comfort, a smile and ultimately feeling good and content are all rewards in this routine association. But this large-scale association with food and happiness has created an unhealthy and food-centric nation that isn’t very happy with the results – especially for its children.

So what happens when we change the path to happiness, when you redesign the way to a smile and when you refashion the steps to feeling great?

That’s what the 2011-2012 University of Florida Bateman Team did with its Giggle in Gear! campaign for United Way.

Through a series of happy and fun-filled key messages that redefined the very way Gainesville, Fla. thinks about food as well as fitness, we changed the way that Gainesville smiles – and even giggles!

the Giggle in Gear! strategy to eradicate childhood obesity

situation analysisIn a nation crippled with a childhood obesity crisis where one in three children is overweight or obese, there is no shortage of anti-childhood obesity programs. Working with Partnership for a Healthier America and other organizations, even the first lady Michelle Obama has tried to address the health crisis directly with her national initiative, Let’s Move! Yet, with the abundance of programs trying to reverse the trend, our health woes are worsening, and our own community is feeling the crushing weight of childhood obesity.

problemThe 2010 United States Census Bureau American Community Survey report found the city of Gainesville, Fla. (the home of UF and the Gators) to have the fifth-widest income disparity in the nation. With a population of more than 120,000, the University of Florida student population makes up nearly half with more than 50,000. David Denslow, a research economist at the UF Bureau of Economic and Business Research, attributed the high level of income inequality to two factors – a city with a large university and medical

A habit is a behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition.This behavior unfolds in 3 steps – cue, routine, and reward – a “habit loop”.

To change a habit, it’s the routine that must be modiied.

a cue signals the brain to slip into automatic mode repeating a routine behavior andseeking an anticipated reward

happiness, smiles intellectual performance, less stress and more emotional stability became the universal rewards

– The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Childhood obesity results from unhealthy habits – little nutritious food and lack of physical activity – lifestyle habits that reap a lifetime of poor health.

The UF Bateman team engaged and empowered Gainesville by sharing messages and demonstrating behaviors that both informed and brought smiles to all ages.

the Giggle in Gear! campaign connected tness with fun and food with good taste it identi ed substitutes for the unhealthy and unwanted routines

cue routine reward

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complex in the west side paired with a lack of jobs and poverty in Gainesville’s predominantly African-American east side.

Poverty can lead to food insecurity, which the World Health Organization defines as a lack of access to nutritious foods. This food insecurity leaves residents with few fruit and vegetable options, as fresh foods are often seen as too expensive for a family on a budget or inaccessible for a household without a car. Increased supermarket access is associated with a reduced risk for obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but people in low-income communities have limited access tosupermarkets that sell healthy foods. This problem is especially seen in rural, minority and low-income neighborhoods, such as the low-income, high crime “Mike Zone” and east Gainesville areas of Alachua County.

In addition to food-related factors, primary research revealed that a lack of physical activity was also a major problem contributing to Gainesville’s high obesity rates. In our survey of more than 650 local middle and high school students, we found almost 80 percent of students don’t get the CDC-recommended 60 minutes of exercise or more per day. Further, 60 percent of the 81 parents surveyed did not regularly exercise with their children, and 37 percent of them did not regularly exercise at all.

In November 2011, the director of the Alachua County Health Department was fired by the Florida Department of Health, and due to extensive budget cuts for 2012, the Alachua County Health Department had to start turning away thousands of uninsured patients.

opportunityThe UF Bateman Team seized the opportunity to create a partnership between and with two of the groups contributing to the significant income disparity in Gainesville - the large number of college students and the large number of medical professionals. Together we sought to inspire youth and increase preventative care for many uninsured, low-income Alachua County residents.

Through a collaboration between the UF College of Medicine’s Mobile Outreach Clinic, UF’s College of Health and Human Performance and student health organizations, the Bateman team activated Alachua Coun-ty’s and Gainesville’s Giggle in Gear! to reverse our community’s striking childhood obesity epidemic.

childhood obesity – a negative phraseGiggle in Gear! avoided using the term childhood obesity in any programming or materials. Primary research indicated the term instantly produced negative feelings, leading to decreased self esteem and unhappiness for many – exactly the opposite of what we wanted to achieve. In-depth interviews with Dr. Sara Bleich of Duke UniversityMedical Center and Amy Foster of the Walt Disney World Resort cautioned using the term, saying it can create a hostile, bullying environment among students. Instead, the Giggle Squad used positively framed messages that encouraged its audiences to “have fun and get fit” and “Move. Smile. Repeat.”

By breaking stereotypes that exercise can only be done with a gym membership and dispelling myths that healthy eating means expensive food and tasteless meals, the UF Bateman team (aka the Giggle Squad), initiated a sustainable and long-term change by engaging, educating and empowering at-risk communities using a research-based and audience-driven campaign. This became known as the iGIG (I Giggle in Gear!) movement.

United Way: the clientUnited Way Worldwide is the leadership and support organization for the network of nearly 1,800 community-based United Way offices spanning 45 countries and territories. The organization advances the common good by focusing on improving education, helping people achieve financial stability, promoting healthy lives and mobilizing millions of people to give, advocate and volunteer to improve the communities in which they live.

Our local United Way of North Central Florida provides community support, encourages community collaboration and offers technical assistance to other struggling not-for-profit organizations in north central Florida. Each local chapter provides services, including shelter and safety for victims of domestic violence, emergency relief for families in need and safe after-school activities for children.

SWOT analysis of situation in Gainesville, Fla.

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better backpack intiativeThe Giggle Squad worked with United Way of North Central Florida to expand its relevant programs, specifically the Weekend Hunger Backpack Program. The Giggle Squad created the “Better Backpack Initiative” and introduced fresh produce and corresponding Fun Food recipes, Fun Fitness, Fun Feelings, Fun Facts and No Worries cards to the backpacks every week in February. Each of the more than 170 families - more than 600 individual people - who receive these backpacks was enrolled in the Fit Family Club. Members were encouraged to try the newly included recipes using the fresh produce that the Giggle Squad secured. Families were also encouraged to exercise together using the Fun Fitness cards that were updated weekly. The Bateman Team was able to add several new dimensions to the backpack program: nutrition, fitness, and healthy living tips, expanding the United Way efforts. These additions to the backpack program greatly benefited low-income families, and responses on post-campaign evaluations support this statement.

In addition, the Giggle Squad worked with community partners of United Way of North Central Florida, including the SouthWest Advocacy Group (SWAG), a grassroots advocacy group in the county located in a low-income, low food-access and high-crime area.

Student United WayThe Giggle Squad also partnered with Student United Way at the University of Florida, the campus extension of the United Way of North Central Florida. The team mobilized 36 Student United Way members, health education and communications majors to advocate for healthier lifestyles as Giggle Squad Ambassadors. These student leaders attended training sessions created by the Bateman Team to educate college students about volunteering and advocating in the community to advance the iGIG movement. Each ambassador wore a LIVE UNITED T-shirt, donated by our client, with an image of one of Giggle in Gear’s logo elements. This fusion of iGIG and LIVE UNITED visual cues served as a tangible representation of the working partnership between United Way and Giggle in Gear!

secondary researchLiterature reviews from 69 sources provided our team an audience-centered understanding of preferred communication methods, the multidimensional causes of childhood obesity and the distinct racial and ethnic disparity in the childhood obesity epidemic. Benchmarking current childhood obesity programs also gave us insight into best practices as well as unsuccessful efforts to avoid when creating our campaign.

causes of childhood obesitySimply put, there is no single cause of childhood obesity. The prevalence of sugary sodas, fast food restaurants, proliferation of junk food advertisements, lack of physical exercise, lack of parental involvement and the ever-expanding presence of United States Department of Agriculture-identified food deserts are just a few of the conjoining causes of our nation’s health dilemma.

childhood obesity in minority communitiesThe childhood obesity epidemic knows no racial boundaries, but there is a distinct racial, ethnic and gender disparity that cannot be ignored. A 2008 CDC study reflects the following data:

generational traits The newest generation of obese children, the “Millennials,” are known for wanting instant gratification in every aspect of their lives.

a volunteer helps pack fresh foods into United Way backpacks

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They choose to eat fast food because they want tasty food without the wait, and will drop an exercise regime if they don’t see quick results. This generation was brought up with computers, cell phones and other technology, and desires continuous connection and interaction. The Millennials are also known as the “Trophy” generation that expects awards and recognition for completing everyday routines.

economic disparitiesAlachua County’s childhood obesity rate of 33 percent is 16 percent higher than the national average. Some schools in Alachua County have rates as high as 45 percent. In addition, four of the 10 leading causes of death in Alachua County – hypertension, diabetes, stroke and cancer – have all been linked to obesity. One major cause of this problem is the high poverty rate in Alachua County – a problem that often coincides with high obesity rates. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines poverty as an income level at or below $22,350 for a family of four. Nearly 25 percent of our county’s residents live in poverty compared with only 12.5 percent nationwide.

communicating with target audiencesAccording to a 2008 report by the Environmental Protection Agency, when developing programs communicating with minorities, disadvantaged communities and children, messages should be specific, tied to community values and positively worded. Key messages should be focused on small, specific audiences to improve the understanding rate. In addition, religious organizations can serve as agenda-setting vehicles as well as information centers.

According to research published by the National Social Norms Institute at the University of Virginia, scare tactics and communications focusing on health risks are much less effective than those highlighting the benefits of health-focused behaviors. Positively crafted messages are better-received and more likely to influence behavior modification in health communications.

primary researchWith a strong foundation in secondary research, the UF Bateman Team expanded its audience understanding by conducting extensive primary research. Our team utilized both quantitative and qualitative research methods conducting five focus groups, 21 in-depth expert interviews, two observational studies as well as both a student and parent survey offered in English and Spanish which generated a total of 733 survey responses.

fruit and vegetable consumptionBoth students and parents admitted a lack of fruit and vegetable consumption. When surveyed, both middle and high schoolstudents indicated they eat, on average, less than three servings of fruits and vegetables daily – four servings less than the recommended daily amount of seven. A series of observational studies at a local high school revealed less than 12 percent of students ate vegetables at lunch, only 4 percent selected the school-offered salad and only 7 percent ate fruit. For comparison, 35 percent of students ate either cookies, french fries, corn chips or gelatin-based fruit-flavored snacks.

exercise habitsParticipation in physical activity was also well below the recommended level. When surveyed, 40 percent of middle school students indicated they exercised no more than two days per week, and high school students indicated an average of three days each week. Nearly 60 percent of parents surveyed said they rarely or never exercise with their children.

nutritional knowledge sourcesA majority of both middle and high school students surveyed in Alachua County, 57 percent and 71 percent, respectively, revealed they receive nutritional information at school as opposed to other communication channels, such as magazines or the Internet. Focus groups at both the middle and high school levels supported this research.

parental perceptionsParticipants in a focus group for single female heads of household expressed finances or money as the primary household concern. One participant said that even if specific healthy foods would keep her kids healthy, she would still check the cost and select a cheaper option.

church involvementThe church community is of enormous importance to our audiences in Alachua County, many of whom frequently eat meals in this

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environment. Parents and middle and high school students, especially those in the African-American community, consistently expressed the importance of religion in their lives. Middle school students, on average, attend church more than once per week while high school students attend church more than twice per week.

key publicsAccording to census data, nearly one-fourth of Gainesville’s population identifies as African-American. Gainesville’s African-American population of 23 percent is 8.6 percent higher than the state of Florida’s overall African-American population of 14.6 percent. Therefore, the need for a comprehensive communications plan that actively incorporated minority opinions and value systems was critical. The significant population of low-income African-Americans provided a special opportunity to target African-American youth, their parents and opinion leaders, such as church leaders, community advocacy groups, mentorship programs and other service providers to these communities.

The Giggle Squad identified four primary key target audiences to engage, educate and empower in order to effectively address the issue of childhood obesity in our community: African-American and Hispanic tweens, ages 11 to 14, African-American and Hispanic teens, ages 15 to 18, African-American and Hispanic UF students, ages 18 and 19, and African-American and Hispanic parents – specifically, mothers and single female heads of households, ages 25 to 48, residing in low-income communities in Alachua County.

The secondary target audiences were identified to be of critical importance in achieving our goal; these opinion leaders included local government officials and regulatory bodies in Gainesville, health professionals who provide services to underserved communities in Alachua County, and middle, high school and university administrators and educators in Gainesville.

primary audiencesAfrican-American and Hispanic tweens, ages 11 to 14, in low-income Alachua County communitiesThere are 1,842 African-American residents between the ages of 10 and 14 and 344 Hispanics between the ages of 10 and 14 in Gainesville, Fla. The majority of the targeted tween public attends Lincoln Middle School in the socioeconomically disadvantaged east Gainesville area. More than half of Lincoln Middle’s 675 students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and the school has the highest rate of childhood obesity of any targeted school community with nearly 36 percent of its students overweight or obese.

Primary research showed middle school students are peer-conscious and will limit themselves to activities that are “approved” by the group in which they wish to be accepted. Peer pressure – both positive and negative – is a major force in the tween demographic.

African-American and Hispanic teens, age 15 to 18, in low-income Alachua County communitiesThe majority of the targeted teen audience attends Gainesville High School and Buchholz High School. At Gainesville High School, more than 34 percent of its 1,800 students are overweight or obese. Additionally, according to Alachua County school statistics, 40 percent of Gainesville High School’s student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch. Buchholz High School has one of the lowest rates of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch in Alachua County but serves as the only “home” high school for students in the low-income, high-crime “Mike Zone” community. Thirty-one percent of Buchholz High’s 2,000 students are overweight or obese.

Primary research shows parents are the most trusted sources of information among teens (93 percent), followed by older siblings or mentors (82 percent) and religious and community leaders (65 percent). Celebrities are the least trusted source at 30 percent. Although teens trust information from their parents, they relate more to older siblings and mentors because they seek to be recognized as independent young adults capable of making their own decisions.

African-American and Hispanic UF students, age 18 and 19 Nationally, 20 percent of first-generation college students are African-American or Hispanic. These students have a special impact on their families because they are seen as trusted opinion leaders and role models as they overcame odds to pursue a higher education, something other family members have yet to accomplish. First-generation minority college students often serve as mentors to younger family members or youth in their local or adopted communities.

Additionally, Hispanic students are the largest minority group at the University of Florida at 15 percent of the total minority population, which makes up 27 percent of the total 52,000-plus UF student body. Secondary research shows children in Hispanic families may play a large role in purchasing processes because they may be the only family members who speak English. Because of this, Hispanic youth are of paramount importance when targeting Hispanic families.

African-American and Hispanic parents, specifically mothers and single female head of households, age 25 to 48, in low-income Alachua County communitiesThe beliefs that a healthy environment has become a national crisis and that the role of churches is to help form and support moral values ranks No. 1 among African-American mothers. The majority of households led by Hispanic female heads of household believe

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churches and religious organizations should provide more human services. However, the single biggest influence to Hispanic buyers in general was family. Children have a strong say in what food is purchased. Church leaders are consistently identified as a trusted source of information among these audiences. Extended family can also be highly influential in purchasing decisions.

secondary audienceslocal government officials and regulatory bodies in Gainesville, Fla.The Gainesville mayor and the Gainesville City Commission comprise this key audience. There are six commissioners representing four different districts within Gainesville. Public officials need to know how issues affect their constituents and determine the most cost-effective and feasible way issues can be addressed. Any type of communication with a public official must clearly illustrate how the issue is relevant to his or her platform and interests.

health professionals who provide services to underserved communities in Alachua County, Fla.Identified key health professionals include doctors, nurses, physician’s assistants, social workers, psychiatrists, medical students, health education students and exercise and kinesiology students; these individuals serve the low-income Mike Zone and migrant farmer communities. These health professionals have a vested interest in preventing and reducing childhood obesity and are aware of the racial and socioeconomic disparities. These professionals had yet to offer a program that simultaneously addressed several aspects of the multi-faceted problem of childhood obesity.

middle, high school and university administrators and educators in Gainesville, Fla.This key audience includes the Alachua County Public School system administrators and health, nutrition and physical education faculty at targeted schools. These educators recognize the importance of physical and nutritional education and the impact it has on a student’s well-being and academic potential and performance. Many of these administrators and educators had health education programs in place but needed help re-energizing these programs crippled by repeated budget cuts.

key messagesDesigning our messages with the words fun, happy, easy and affordable set the stage for fitness, lifestyle and nutritional choices to be received by an interested and engaged audience. According to Dr. Drew Westen, psychologist, neuroscientist and message strategist, “priming” can be used to activate neurological networks in the minds of your audience members to prepare them to receive your messages in a specific mindset. Based on this principle, our messages were framed to positively connect to our activities and material, which led to greater levels of awareness, acceptance and attitude change.

the UF Bateman Team constructed three audience-centered key messages:Happy lives are healthy lives!Primary research revealed students are often motivated by long-term goals but act on short-term interests. Several in-depth interviews with practicing pediatricians indicated students must be reminded that long-term goals, including both career and personal goals, will not be attained if their short-term daily decisions are not healthy ones. This message framed the discussion for continuously making healthy choices leading to empowering students to reach a happy, realized life. As a result, happiness and healthiness become intertwined concepts of empowerment.

Good-for-you groceries...don’t break the bank!Primary research overwhelmingly indicated mothers are primarily concerned with the day-to-day economics to stay afloat in difficult economic times. Grocery bills consume a significant portion of household monthly incomes and are a major cost of monthly living. Additionally, data shows mothers perceive healthy eating to be prohibitively expensive. As a result, this message framed the discussion for the ease of living healthy on a small budget.

Have fun…be fit!Both secondary and primary research revealed a lack of exercise to be a primary factor in childhood obesity in Gainesville. Many audience members classified exercise as arduous, inconvenient and boring. Giggle in Gear! introduced subsitute routines that linked physical activity to enjoyment.

goal, objectives, strategies, tactics and outcomesIn order to link the concepts of fun with fitness and food with good taste, Giggle in Gear! embarked on a mission to bridge the gap between health awareness and healthy living.

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goalTo foster an understanding of healthy lifestyle habits and deliver tools for enacting long-term behavior changes to reduce and prevent childhood obesity within the greater Gainesville and Alachua County community.

objective1: To increase awareness and understanding of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle by 25 percent among targeted audiences by February 29, 2012.

strategy 1: Educate target audiences about nutrition and healthy habits.

rationale: Nearly 37 percent of middle school students and 30 percent of high school students surveyed indicated they had, at most, “a little” information about nutrition.

tactic 1: Facilitate engaging and interactive Jumpin’ Jeopardy! nutrition games in three local low-income and/or high-obesity middle and high schools. Motivate students to come to events by having teachers offer extra credit.

tactic 2: Host nutrition-education workshops for first- and second-year University of Florida residential hall student leaders to give them the interpersonal and educational tools to instruct their peers on the benefits of healthy eating.

tactic 3: Train and equip college-aged health education and communications students to serve as Giggle Ambassadors and advocate healthy living benefits in their own families, classes and social circles.

tactic 4: Seek Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe to declare February 2012 as “Gainesville, get your Giggle in Gear!” month at the Giggle in Gear! Farmer’s Market launch event and, thereby, increase awareness about happy, healthy lifestyle choices and locally grown agriculture.

tactic 5: Provide city commission with informational packets about local childhood obesity and suggested solutions. Supplement packets with brief presentations during round table discussions to lead to future dialogue with city management.

tactic 6: Stage Lunchtime Laughs visits in school cafeterias with appearances by Bobby Banana (a Bateman Team member in a banana costume) and distribute iGIG materials.

tactic 7: Utilize text messaging to send nutritional tips and information through Giggle in Gear!’s two-way texting service, GiggleGrams.

tactic 8: Develop “Switch the Chip” event to distribute dehydrated banana chips instead of potato chips to encourage college students to choose alternative, healthier snacks.

strategy 2: Establish strategic partnerships with trusted community, school, religious and health leaders to facilitate sharing key messages with target audiences.

rationale: The academic two-step flow of communication theory states that opinion leaders create more trustworthiness and credibility than mass media for a topic or message among audiences who have similar demographic, geographic, psychographic and other characteristics.

tactic 1: Create a weekly Sunday Fun Day church bulletin insert for Passage Family Church that includes healthy recipes, fitness activities and Bible verses that advocate and encourage healthy eating. Host a supplementary Giggle Hut after service with additional information for families and prizes for children.

tactic 2: Equip Passage Family Church leadership to effectively communicate healthy living messages from the pulpit through weekly Sunday church announcements to several hundreds of people per week.

tactic 3: Develop nutrition education and empowerment workshops to present minority health professionals with tools to communicate the benefits of healthy lifestyles to first- and second-year college students who attend the University of Florida.tactic 4: Host a leadership workshop for the SouthWest Advocacy Group (SWAG), a local low-income community advocacy organization, in order to provide community leaders and members with ideas for healthier events and initiatives.

tactic 5: Assist with the development of a new community health program, Gainesville Gets Fit!, to be sustained by trusted

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community leaders following completion of the 2012 Bateman Competition.

objective 1 outcome – EXCEEDED!Before the launch of Giggle in Gear!, only 48 percent of middle school students surveyed indicated they had at least a “fair” amount of nutritional knowledge. Post-evaluation surveys indicated more than 62 percent of these students’ nutritional knowledge had increased to at least a “fair” amount. This increase in awareness – 29 percent – surpassed our goal of 25 percent. In a write-in response in our post-evaluation survey, 55 percent of middle school students and nearly 61 percent of high school students indicated a specific nutritional fact they learned from Giggle in Gear!

objective 2: To increase healthy food choices by 25 percent among target audiences by February 29, 2012.

strategy 1: Facilitate the availability of healthy food options in lower-income communities.

rationale: According to secondary research on Gainesville’s availability of healthy foods, the United States Department of Agriculture lists nine food deserts in Alachua County. In two of these deserts there are over 90 percent of residents with low food access who lack personal transportation; residents with low access to fresh foods are more at-risk for becoming obese.

tactic 1: Create a Mobile Farmers Market in conjunction with the University of Florida College of Medicine’salready-established Mobile Outreach Clinic in order to bring local farmers to sell fresh produce in low-income, low-access communities.

tactic 2: Establish a long-term supply system for local charities to provide fresh produce for the Better Backpack initiative.

tactic 3: Start a community garden at Lincoln Middle School that will grow crops of the students’ choice and become incorporated in the school’s earth and life science curriculum.

strategy 2: Educate audiences about purchasing and preparing healthy foods on a limited budget.

rationale: Primary research shows that affordability is a major basis for target audience food choices. Providing audiences with information about affordable healthy foods could increase the likelihood of choosing these options.

tactic 1: Create and distribute various affordable healthy Fun Food takeaway recipes that list the cost and calories per serving.

tactic 2: Host a Giggle in Gear! booth at UF’s Student Farmers Market and Food Fair to educate budget-limited college students about the affordability of fresh produce.

tactic 3: Provide local families with information about the affordability of at-home gardening through a joint education event with the community Seed Library.

tactic 4: Stage a low-cost, healthy cooking demonstration by local chef in the low-income Holly Heights and Majestic Oaks communities.

objective 2 outcome – EXCEEDED!Pre-evaluation survey results indicated audience consumption of fruits and vegetables to be severely lagging behind the U.S. Health and Human Services daily recommended seven servings. Increasing from two to four servings per day, middle school students revealed a 100 percent increase of fruit and vegetable intake after the February campaign implementation. This increase far surpassed our goal of a 25 percent. High school students’ results were similar, moving from less than two to almost four, making about a 100 percent increase in fruit and vegetable consumption.

More than 50 percent of survey respondents who received our Fun Food cards indicated they had made at least one of these low-cost, fast and healthy recipes.

objective 3: To increase participation in physical activity among target audience members by 25 percent by February 29, 2012.

strategy 1: Demonstrate to children, students and parents that fitness can be synonymous with fun.

rationale: Survey data revealed only 35 percent of middle school students and 25 percent of high school students participate in the hour-per-day recommended amount of daily exercise. Lack of exercise contributes to childhood obesity.

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tactic 1: Host Giggle While You Wiggle hula hooping games in classrooms and at community events.

tactic 2: Host Fruits vs. Fries nutritional relay-style game during physical education classes in targeted schools.

tactic 3: Create and distribute Fun Fitness Cards that include easy, at-home fitness tips and activities.

tactic 4:Offer audiences the chance to win one of four weekly GIGaways – prizes that include gift cards and theme park tickets – by completing GIGs, various Giggle in Gear! weekly physical activities.

tactic 5: Host a Zumba class for college-aged audience members.

strategy 2: Involve families in easy entire-family physical activities.

rationale: Survey data showed nearly 60 percent of parents do not exercise with their children. Both primary and secondary research indicated that healthy behavior is much more likely to be sustained as a family-wide effort.

tactic 1: Create a Fit Family Club that encourages family members to commit to participation in our Fun Fitness activities together at least once per week.

tactic 2: Host a Fit Family Workout to give families easy fitness activities to do together at home.

tactic 3: Host a family African Dance Class in the low-income Majestic Oaks public housing community.

objective 3 outcome – EXCEEDED!Almost 60 percent of middle school students surveyed in a pre-program measure of physical activity indicated they exercised at least three days per week. After Giggle in Gear! visited Lincoln Middle School during February, that number shot up to nearly 79 percent, an overall increase of more than 31 percent.

High school results were even more striking. The percentage of high school students who indicated they exercised the recommended 60 minutes per day increased from 25 to almost 37 percent. This overall increase of 67 percent far exceeds our goal of 25 percent.

objective 4: To generate 1,000 unique giggles (web hits) and an additional 1,000 unique giggles to our social media platforms by February 29, 2012.

strategy 1: Create and promote Giggle in Gear! website through convergence in print materials.

tactic 1: Include the web address GiggleinGear.com on all print materials.

tactic 2: Design a Quick Response (QR) code to include on all campaign posters that will direct smartphone users to GiggleinGear.com.

strategy 2: Design and maintain a social media platform with useful and entertaining health information that also serves as an online community of interaction and engagement.

rationale: Primary research showed 75 percent of high school students and 54 percent of middle school students use Facebook. Additionally, 33 percent of high school students and 15 percent of middle school students use Twitter.

tactic 1: Create a Giggle in Gear! Facebook page to foster two-way communication and serve as a platform for community conversation.

tactic 2: Create and regularly updated a two-way Giggle in Gear! Twitter account with nutrition and fitness tips.

tactic 3: Create a Giggle in Gear! YouTube channel regularly updated with audience-generated iGIG videos, community tactics and fun food and fitness workshops.

tactic 4: Launch an original mobile site directing smart phone users to a mobile Giggle in Gear! website.

objective 4 outcome – EXCEEDED!During our program, there were 1,160 giggles (web hits) to GiggleinGear.com, exceeding our objective by 16 percent. Included in that 1,160 giggles were 872 unique visitors to GiggleinGear.com. Giggle in Gear!’s social media performance also exceeded our ob-jectives with over 3,539 views of our Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages. Our Facebook profile alone amassed 391 Gigglers (fans who agreed to share the happy lives are healthy lives message) and had 1,957 views, exceeding our objective by 95 percent.

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budgetOur program’s success was supported by $985 in generous in-kind contributions from

local businesses and $289 in cash expenditures.

conclusionGiggle in Gear! empowered a community to start smiling-- and start getting healthy!

Our program heavily relied on the theme of happiness and empowerment via education to facilitate changing of unhealthy habits. While some of our methods piqued awareness and others influenced acceptance and attitude change, the overarching goal was to call our audiences to action and modify their unhealthy behaviors.

impact By engaging nearly 600 middle and high school students in fun and health-based games we linked fitness to fun and food to good taste. In providing almost 300 pounds of fresh produce and more than 1,000 Fun Fitness and Fun Food cards to 533 students in 171 families in United Way’s Weekend Hunger Backpack Program each week, we provided these families with resources and information to make easy, healthy choices within their socio-economic limitations. Through the creation of a Mobile Farmers Market, Giggle in Gear! brought fresh food-access to a food desert, and exposed the residents to a healthier form of eating and living.

empowermentResearch indicated that effective public interest campaigns relinquish control to their audiences. The iGIG movement succeeded in handing over its key messages to a community ready to Giggle!

Hosting Empowerment and Leadership Workshops for community forums, section-8 housing community groups, first-generation college students and the UF Inter-Residence Hall Association, we addressed the primary factors of childhood obesity and gave attendees resources and ways to access and to advocate for healthier lifestyles.

Building five Community Gardens for a low-income middle school and incorporating it into their science curriculum, we gave students, teachers and their families the tools necessary to nurture and sustain fresh homegrown produce, and enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor.

Showing audiences easy ways to create happy memories and live healthier lives, with the African Dance Class and the Cooking Demos; we shared the value of hands-on experiences and gave the community a sampling of activities and recipes that could substitute for unhealthy habits.

Inspiring more than 2,000 families to participate in the Fit Family Club, we provided recipes, fitness tips and easily replicatable routines for families to get fit while having fun together, and creating healthy changes on their own in their homes and communities.

sustainabilityThrough establishing a strong network of community partnerships, the success of our program is on track to be sustained allowing residents to adopt a new and healthy routine for years to come.

The HEROES organization was so inspired by our program that they submitted a letter of intent to apply for a $25,000 American Medical Association nutritional education program grant to continue the efforts of the Giggle in Gear! program. HEROES and Student United Way will continue working with SWAG and United Way to maintain the Mobile Market, cooking demos, dance workshops, empowerment workshops, fit family workouts, and the Better Backpack program.

And to tie it all together, a partnership with The City of Gainesville inspired policy change and city-wide awareness about increasing physical activity and better eating habits.

The success of our program was measured by quantitative survey analysis, iGIG testimonials and positive community feedback. From an obese 10-year-old Giggle Gal who said “iGIG to eat healthy by myself” to a Fit Family Club mom who hula-hooped with her son, the community began changing its habits...

In short, Gainesville hasn’t stopped Giggling!