Provide names of other journalists involved.
Co-Producers (The Weight of the Nation): Tomek Gross, Alexandra Moss, Sonia Dulay Ricci
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
The Weight of the Nation – 5/14/2012, 5/15/2012 The Weight of the Nation for Kids: The Great Cafeteria Takeover – 5/16/12 The Weight of the Nation for Kids: Kabreeya’s Salad Days – 10/1/12
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Three years in the making, THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION offers an unflinching look at the severity of the obesity crisis, highlighting the groundwork for the societal transformations that must take place in order to slow, arrest and eventually reverse the prevalence of obesity and bring the nation to a healthier weight. It is one of the most far-reaching public health campaigns on this epidemic to date. The multi-part, multi-platform series comprises four documentary films, a three-part series for families, 12 bonus shorts, a robust website and social media campaign, a book published by St. Martin’s Press and the free distribution of DVDs and comprehensive discussion guides to more than 40,000 community-based organizations working to fight obesity around the country.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
The Weight of the Nation is an unprecedented collaboration of HBO and the Institute of Medicine (IOM), in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and Kaiser Permanente. It is the country’s most far-reaching public health campaign on obesity to date. To reach the broadest possible audience, HBO placed the four-part series, as well as a 12-part companion series of short films (on issues ranging from healthy weight pregnancy to the stigma of obesity to in-depth looks at type 2 diabetes and heart disease) on HBO.com, iTunes and YouTube for free viewing by anyone, in perpetuity. In addition, HBO opened its signal to cable and satellite providers for the premiere broadcast.
Explain types of human sources used.
In order to motivate the grassroots action which can make all our communities healthier, 40,000 screening kits are being distributed, free-of-charge, to community-based organizations dedicated to obesity prevention. The kit, entirely bilingual in English and Spanish, consists of all 16 films, an in-depth discussion guide and multiple tools for hosting a successful screening and activating audiences.
Results:
HBO used the power of television to drive the most far-reaching public health campaign on Obesity to date: > 530 million media impressions > 63 million social media impressions > 6.2 million viewers on HBO platforms > 2 million streams of additional content The Weight of the Nation website provided a digital hub to offer expansive information on obesity issues and inspire its visitors to take action for themselves, their family, and their community. Go to: http://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/. > 2,000,000 Unique Page views to date > 41,000 Actions Taken to date > 3000 Pledges for Progress to date > 50,000 Downloads to date
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.
We have not had to run a correction and are not aware of any challenges to the campaigns accuracy at present.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/arts/television/the-weight-of-the-nation-coming-to-hbo.html