1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
Childhood Obesity: One Community's Approach. (A 3-part series.)
Karen Brown, WFCR Public Radio
Part 1 (MP3)
Part 2 (MP3)
Part 3 (MP3)
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
July 6-8, 2010
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
This three-part series looks at the epidemic of childhood obesity through one Massachusetts community, where fifty percent of all pediatric patients (most of them Hispanic) are clinically overweight. By interviewing health center doctors and community leaders, and following two families over the course of several months, I tried to show the societal and cultural factors that contribute to child obesity, and to profile an evidence-based approach to addressing the problem. But the series was also designed to go beyond questions of broad social and nutrition policy. I wanted listeners to get to know the individual children and families who live with obesity — and to appreciate the emotional effort, social pressures, and economic obstacles that can make losing weight so difficult.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Scientific research papers on childhood obesity — including a federal task force report on effective programs to combat obesity in children. (There aren't many.)
5. Explain types of human sources used.
I spent many hours over the course of several months at the Holyoke Health Center, where doctors and nutritionists run a childhood obesity program. In my early visits, I met several families who agreed to let me follow their progress. This was not always easy, as several family members did not speak English (my Spanish is passable), and they did not always keep our appointments. But in the end, I felt very honored at the honesty and candor these families afforded me — especially one sweet 9-year-old girl named Kihuanna, who is trying so hard to lose weight, despite the economic and social forces working against her. In addition to the children and families I got to know, I interviewed several doctors at length, as well as policy and grant makers who are working on childhood obesity.
6. Results (if any).
That's hard to say. I hope the series helped listeners move beyond questions of who's to blame for the child obesity epidemic and focus more on what can be done — and how motivated children and families can be, given the right resources. I did learn that a community member who heard the series donated a bicycle to Kihuanna, the 9-year-old girl I profiled, after hearing in the story that hers had been repeatedly stolen.
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No corrections.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Be patient when following families who are struggling with cultural, language, and economic challenges.