NAMCP Teams Up With Pittsburgh Steeler Linebacker James Farrior to Tackle the Issue of Childhood Obesity

NAMCP joins forces with the James Farrior Foundation and others on pilot project in Chesterfield County, Va.

RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of Managed Care Physicians (NAMCP), Fuel Up To Play 60 (FUTP60), Southeast United Dairy Industry Association (SUDIA) and James Farrior (two time Pro bowler and Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers), will combine efforts to provide a pilot project focused on nutrition education and fitness in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

The National Association of Managed Care Physicians is a nationally recognized professional association of medical directors from health plans, employers, and providers of care that is dedicated to improving patient outcomes.  James Farrior attended Matoaca High School in Richmond, is alumni of the University of Virginia and is committed to giving back to the community through the work of his foundation. FUTP60, a program of the NFL in a partnership with SUDIA, is dedicated to the implementation of student driven programs in public schools focused on nutrition education and fitness.

The incidence of childhood obesity has more than tripled in the last 30 years, from a rate of over 6% in 1980 to over 18% today.  That equals six out of every hundred children in 1980 to almost one out of every five in 2010. 

For this reason, NAMCP is collaborating with the James Farrior Foundation, FUTP60, and Chesterfield County to implement a one of a kind pilot project in six selected elementary schools within the county for the upcoming school year of 2011 / 2012.  

This program will have all of the fundamental components of the traditional FUTP60 student driven program; however, the pilot project is truly a joint effort led by NAMCP whereby the traditional FUTP60 program will have both subjective and objective metrics in place to gauge the overall and relative success of the respective programs in the six elementary schools. The pilot project will involve between 600–700 students.  The results will be published in the Journal of Managed Care Medicine and may serve as a template for other programs both regionally and nationally.

If you would like additional information on this pilot project, or would like to schedule an interview with Dr. Williams, please call NAMCP at 804-527-1905 or e-mail at [email protected].

SOURCE National Association of Managed Care Physicians