LEAWOOD, Kan. -- This summer, the AAFP has joined Discovery Health Channel to take families on a road trip to better health. The Total Family Health initiative will educate families about the full range of family health issues that are essential to living healthy lives, including fitness, nutrition, finance, parenting and preventative health care.
Total Family Health consists of three components: an interactive mobile tour (traveling interactive big rig); quarterly television specials; and a strong online presence at www.discoveryhealth.com. In addition to the AAFP, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) is also a partner on the interactive mobile tour and online component of the initiative.
Beginning August 5, the Discovery Health Channel Total Family Health big rig goes on the road for eight weeks stopping at festivals, family destinations and retail stores throughout the United States. Designed to share positive health information through hands-on experience, the custom-designed, 53-foot big rig features educational and entertaining activity kiosks, health advisors and taped segments.
The mobile tour offers families a fun, interactive and engaging experience that provides resources and information to achieve a higher level of total health. Families are encouraged to take advantage of complimentary giveaways, games and health information focused on nutrition, fitness, preventative health care, family balance, parenting, disease conditions and more. The kiosks, which contain information from the AAFP and ADA, provide healthy lifestyle demonstrations for adults and fun games to help children understand the basics of good health. The AAFP has also acted as an advisor on various educational aspects of the tour.
In addition to the big rig, the initiative includes a quarterly television special that highlights health issues common to all families airing on the Discovery Health Channel.
The Total Family Health online component provides health quizzes, self-assessments and information tailored to men and women's health and relationship advice. Television previews and information about the traveling interactive big rig tour stops are available at www.discoveryhealth.com.
Discovery Health Channel's Total Family Health is sponsored by Smart Spot™ from PepsiCo.
American Academy of Family Physicians Partners with Discovery Health Channel on Total Family Health Initiative
Traveling Health Big Rig Features Family Health Tips and Information
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, August 05, 2005
Contact:
Janelle Davis
American Academy of Family Physicians
(800) 274-2237 Ext. 5222
jdavis@aafp.org
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Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents 110,600 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the only medical society devoted solely to primary care.
Approximately one in four of all office visits are made to family physicians. That is 240 million office visits each year — nearly 87 million more than the next largest medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America’s underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care.
To learn more about the specialty of family medicine, the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care, and for downloadable multi-media highlighting family medicine, visit www.aafp.org/media. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s award-winning consumer website, www.FamilyDoctor.org.
