Concord Youth Leading the Fight Against Childhood Obesity

The following announcement was provided by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.

Chloe Rosen, 17, of Concord, along with 20 outstanding young people, has been selected to serve on the 2012-2013 Youth Advisory Board for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, an organization founded by the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation.

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation Youth Advisory Board is one of the only youth-led advisory groups in the country focused on childhood obesity issues. With a belief that young people play a crucial role in engaging and educating their peers and in creating healthier communities, the Alliance relies on the Youth Advisory Board to advise the organization on how best to inspire young people to make healthy behavior changes and become leaders and advocates for healthy eating and physical activity.

“We believe that listening to youth perspective and empowering them to make a difference is critical in helping combat this public health crisis,” says Ginny Ehrlich, CEO of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. “The Alliance is committed to supporting the amazing work of our Youth Advisory Board and showcasing the powerful impact youth can have to inspire healthy living in their schools and communities."

In addition to their role as advisors and thought-leaders on childhood obesity issues, a cornerstone of the Youth Advisory Board is their commitment to service-learning.  Each board member is responsible for initiating healthy changes in their own neighborhoods and school districts by engaging in service-learning programs in their communities. 

“The Youth Advisory Board provides a level of advanced expertise that I don't have on my own,” said Chloe. “I'm excited to start learning as much as I can from the experiences of others like me, and to join a group of other kids from around the country to try to make as big of a difference as we can.”

Chloe is entering the 11th grade at Noble and Greenough School. She loves to cook and was the recipient of the Next Great Young Chef Award by Kiwi Magazine in 2010. Every week, Chloe helps teach a healthy cooking class to a group of 20 kindergartens through second-graders at her local elementary school. She has also filmed 10 videos for the local online food site How2Heroes. Chloe was the 2012 Keynote Speaker with Chef David Burke at the "Food for Thought" program sponsored by the NJ Center for the Book, where she prepared healthy recipes to a crowd of 600 people. She was also the youngest Chef featured on stage at "Chef Fest" at the 2012 New England Home Show and was selected to serve as a counselor at Harvard University/Chop Chop Magazine's summer cooking and science camp. 

Following a nationwide search, the Alliance selected a group of youth ages 8-17 from diverse backgrounds to serve on the Board. These youth leaders are invited to join the Alliance for one year of service based on a combination of factors, including evidence of their passion for living a healthier life and a desire to inspire others to join them.

Members of the 2012-2013 Youth Advisory Board include:

• Rogelio Bejarano,17, Van Nuys, California
• Zach Dell, 15, Austin, Texas
• Guido Dominguez, 12, Miami Beach, Florida
• Major Dukes, 13, Greensboro, Georgia
• Jodi Evans, 9, Bowie, Maryland
• Akansha Jain, 16, Omaha, Nebraska
• Danyel Jonnson, 11, Sanosteel Tonatchi, New Mexico
• Bodhi Lovely, 10, Russellville, Arizona
• Daniel Muller, 17, Weston, Connecticut
• Ethan Oro, 14, Menlo Park, California
• Joe Bear Ortiz, 15, Conifer, Colorado
• Kyle Ortmeier, 17, Faulkton, South Dakota
• Ashlyn Pinkins, 16, Gretna, Louisiana
• Anita Rao, 16, Pearland, Texas
• Chloe Rosen, 17, Concord, Massachusetts
• Miranda Rosen, 16, Henderson, Nevada
• Bobby Sena, 9, Orlando, Florida
• Sarwat Siddiqui, 16, Staten Island, NY
• Katie Stagllano,13, Summerville, South Carolina
• Mataio Swain, 14, Charlestown, West Virginia
• Haile Thomas, 11, Tucson, Arizona

Youth leaders, parents, school administrators, teachers and community members all play an important role in inspiring kids to live healthier lives. Visit www.healthiergeneration.org to learn more about the work of the Alliance’s Youth Advisory Board and how anyone can get involved.