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 Swap Up campaign 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.

Swap Up developed messages based on a research survey conducted with more than 400 Oklahoma teens. Oklahoma teenagers have a nearly 70% chance of being 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.

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 on various social media channels and television. In particular, youth are given specific recommendations for changing eating habits in a manner they can control such as what sides they should eat at a restaurant, selecting healthy convenience store snacks or choosing water over sugary drinks. To learn more about Swap Up, visit www.SwapUpOK.com