Press Releases: National
June 24, 2008
Parents Confused About Nutrition and Exercise Best Practices, According to Recent Survey
One in Five Parents Surveyed Report Children Who are Overweight or At Risk of Being Overweight; Disney Family.com Launches “Healthy Families” Initiative with Kaiser Permanente
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — While more than two-thirds of parents surveyed say they are concerned about the healthy ingredients in the food their child eats, just under half of parents know the correct number of recommended daily servings of whole grains for children. And more than half say their child exercises for an hour or less each day, while nearly nine of every 10 people eat fast food one to two times a week, according to a recent online survey about healthy living from Disney Family.com (www.family.com). Furthermore, according to general health care standards based on age, height and weight, one in five of the surveyed parents have children who are considered overweight or at risk for being overweight. Disney and Kaiser Permanente have joined to help close that gap on nutrition knowledge and to help parents encourage their children to become more physically active.
“The resounding results from the survey indicate that raising a healthy family is a top-priority for parents but they are confused by the information currently available to them,” said Emily Smith, vice president of the Disney Family Group. “As a result, we are looking to help parents find simple solutions and ideas to make beneficial lifestyle changes through the launch of a healthy living feature on Disney Family.com.”
In addition to the survey findings, the new Disney Family.com “healthy families” section (www.family.com/healthyfamilies) features tips and ideas aimed at providing ways parents can make lifestyle changes for themselves and their families. As part of the initiative Disney Family.com will look to collaborate with Kaiser Permanente, leveraging the health care organization’s health content and experts to communicate the importance of nutrition and exercise to parents, and offer real strategies for families to improve and maintain their health.
“Good health is a family affair. We are excited to work with Disney Family.com to help families be proactive about proper nutrition and exercise,” said Debbie Cantu, vice president of brand marketing, Kaiser Permanente. “We know that health goes far beyond the walls of a doctor’s office, and this initiative will help us to reach more people looking for ways to keep their families healthy and provide expert resources that parents can trust.”
The Disney Family.com “healthy families” section includes:
- Tips on simplifying best nutrition practices for parents
- Ideas on making healthy eating and exercising manageable for parents
- Articles and video from Disney Family.com health and nutrition experts
- Healthy recipes the whole family can enjoy
- Healthy Families game widget, “Bag it Right,” which allows users to test their healthy food knowledge.
Disney Family.com is also offering an “Eat Smart” sweepstakes that will award a family with a one-year supply of healthy meals that will be delivered to their home three times each week. Guests can enter the sweepstakes at www.family.com for a chance to win until August 2, 2008.
Survey Methodology
The results of the survey, underwritten by Disney Family.com and conducted by Usability Sciences, are based on responses of 7,099 Disney Family.com visitors worldwide. Every other visitor to the Disney Family.com Web site was invited to participate in the survey. The survey was conducted over a period commencing May 9, 2008, and continuing through May 27, 2008. The margin of error is + or - 5 percent.
About Disney Family.com
Disney Family.com is designed to present information on a variety of topics important to today’s families — ranging from education, food and parenting, to advice on traveling with children, entertainment and shopping — in a manner that is compelling, comprehensive, entertaining and, most importantly, objective. Disney Family.com is dedicated to providing parents with answers to pressing questions through practical, objective and reliable information.
About Disney Online
Disney Online (www.disney.com), a division of the Walt Disney Internet Group, produces the number one kids’ entertainment and family community destination on the World Wide Web. Launched in 1996, Disney.com is the online gateway to all of the company’s Disney-branded entertainment initiatives, providing comprehensive access to, and information about Disney movies, travel, television, games, mobile, music, shopping and live events. Disney.com also features Disney.com XD, a highly interactive broadband experience, that lets Disney.com guests create their own customized online channel with games, videos, music, and chat — all of which can be enjoyed simultaneously in an immersive environment. In addition, Disney Online develops and publishes a range of online products and services including Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Disney’s Toontown Online, Playhouse Disney Preschool Time Online, Disney Game Downloads, Disney Game Kingdom Online, Disney Connection and Hot Shot Business. The Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) is a unit of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS).
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 8.6 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.
