Oklahoma has the eighth highest youth obesity rate in the country, with an estimated 150,000 children who are classified as overweight or obese.

To help reverse this trend, the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) is launching Swap Up, a media campaign focusing on youth obesity prevention across the state.

The TSET Board of Directors heard an update on the effort during a special board meeting on Friday.

The Swap Up campaign, which is part of the TSET Healthy Youth Initiative, launched Feb. 11 and delivers nutrition messages to teens 13-18 years old by providing tangible tips to incorporate into their daily lives.

Teens will receive information on how to eat healthier and drink more water, which helps teens feel better, improve their studies and enjoy leisure time.

“Obesity is linked to 13 different cancers and is a risk for factor for many of the leading causes of death in Oklahoma,” said TSET Executive Director Julie Bisbee.

“Teens are influenced by their environment, their friends and social settings when it comes to the food they eat. As teens approach adulthood, they’re making more independent choices. Swap Up provides teens with realistic ways they can improve their health outcomes today and in the future.”

Swap Up developed messages based on a research survey conducted with more than 400 Oklahoma teens. The survey provided information about eating habits, meal and snack sources, and nutrition-based knowledge, attitudes and beliefs.

Oklahoma teenagers have a nearly 70 % chance ofbeing overweight or obese as adults, so the need for nutritional education was high. A follow up survey will be conducted in spring 2021 to assist in tracking impact of the campaign.

“Changing youth nutritionbehaviors is a challenge. Many times teens receive messaging and information from multiple sources.

“Effective obesity prevention messaging must do more than just tell teens to live healthier, it must show them the what, how, where, and when of healthy living,” said Jeff Jordan, president and executive creative director of Rescue Agency.

“We developed Swap Up for Oklahoma to not only provide teens with specific and attainable changes they can make, but to also illustrate how those choices can lead to a healthier, and sustainable lifestyle change.”

Beginning with the “Fuel for Football” messages, which launched the week of Feb. 8, Swap Up feature various examples about how fruits, vegetables and water can improve a teen’s mood, concentration and physical performance .