Provide names of other journalists involved.
Ginger Moored- Producer
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
April 25 through 29, 2011
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
This series provides a thorough exploration of what has become a national epidemic, through voices that are rarely heard- children who struggle with obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one of every three children in the United States is overweight or obese. This staggering statistic is all the more frightening when considering the serious health implications these children face. High blood pressure and cholesterol, joint and bone problems, and sleeping complications are just the beginning; children who are obese are also at great risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, and arthritis. Further, obesity may take its toll on the emotional health of children, making it difficult to socialize with others and negatively affecting their self-esteem. All these factors impact them in the classroom, making it challenging for them to learn. Part 1: The story of the Freedmans, the Maryland family, aired on April 25, 2011, and illustrated just how complex the search for answers can be, even for families with access to health care. Early on, they sought out medical professionals to treat their daughter, Rachel, and found little help. For years afterwards, the Freedmans continued searching for a solution while wrangling with their insurance company over the cost of doctor’s visits and coping with the nagging feeling that somehow, they deserved the blame for Rachel’s weight. Part 2: I read medical journals, federal documents and interviewed researchers looking at everything from genetics to food marketing to food deserts, hoping for a better understanding of how to treat obesity in children. Part 3: I tried to show how much work families have to do in order to finally make progress. I followed Dr. Yolanda Hancock, a pediatrician at a clinic specializing in childhood obesity. The seven and five-year old children in one family were being sent home for fighting (they were being bullied because of their weight) and teachers were getting upset with them for needing frequent bathroom breaks and for complaining their joints hurt. Part 4: DC Public Schools recently implemented sweeping changes to school lunches served and the Physical Education requirements needed to graduate. We spoke to children, chefs and local officials to examine the challenges of implementing such changes in a school system of 75,000 children. Part 5: For children and families who lack access to resources to make even simple changes, losing weight and living healthier seems an insurmountable challenge. With his mother working long hours and few nutritious food options in his neighborhood, sixteen-year-old Saquont’e Wilkinson of southeast Washington, D.C., was mostly left to figure out how to regain control of his health on his own. In a city like Washington, D.C., where working poor live in the shadow of some of the most powerful people in the world, I tried to tell this teenager’s story to our audience of 740,000 with sensitivity and compassion. I hope it’s reflective of the station’s commitment to serving our community and helping our listeners become more engaged in the world around them. As one commenter on our website said: I appreciate the many amazing personal stories and useful facts about fatness, and hope to pivot to making some serious changes to my lifestyle, and possibly others…definitely want to find out how I can help children and teens live a more active and fulfilling life. I know I had it good.”
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Extensive interviews, medical journals, former news stories, federal data, surveys and public school documents. Producer Ginger Moored and web producers curated a collection of multimedia resources that accompanied the series. Alongside my audio, visitors to the WAMU 88.5 News web page could find applications to measure Body Mass Index, plan meals, practice putting together healthy plates; learn how to read nutrition labels, and more.
Explain types of human sources used.
Children, parents, doctors and researchers. I was particularly focused on including children in the series, since we rarely hear their voices. It was extremely challenging to find families that were willing to be profiled since this is such a sensitive topic. But my efforts were worth it. Listeners heard the stories of a six-year-old girl from Olney, Md., whose parents made drastic lifestyle changes in hopes of managing her weight; a Washington, D.C., teenager with few resources and little support in his fight against obesity; and an area family whose two young boys were making slow progress with the help of a caring pediatrician.
Results:
Several media outlets and blogs picked up the stories. We also received dozens and dozens of emails from listeners sharing their personal stories- “I have one of the worst attitudes toward food ever. Thank you for showing me I’m not alone”, federal officials-“I have oversight over the nutrition assistance programs at USDA, including the Dietary Guidelines, nutrition promotion, etc. Your recent series was terrific; including exceptionally solid on the facts (not something I see much).” But most importantly we accomplished the goal of the series- to raise awareness of how complex this issue is- “I had tears in my eyes listening to the stories. SO sad. And you get the sense of how overwhelming this must be. I will stop before making a judgment when I see someone obese.”
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
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Make sure you interview children themselves. When you personalize the depressing statistics and the overwhelming proportions of this epidemic, listeners will respond.