Uncle Jimmy Thumbs Up! nutrition and healthy lifestyle program
Uncle Jimmy Thumbs Up! nutrition and healthy lifestyle program Conference Paper
14th National Rural Health Conference: A World of Rural Health
- Author(s): Bidstrup, G
- Secondary Author(s): Coleman, Leanne
- Published: 2017
- Publisher: National Rural Health Alliance
Abstract: Uncle Jimmy Thumbs Up! has been delivering nutrition and healthy lifestyle education since 2008. Using music and video as the engagement tools, the resulting “Good Tucker” songs and videos from the program delivery have been a catalyst for many residents in communities to take up healthy eating and lifestyle practices within the whole community. Thumbs up! enjoys continuing partnerships with major store groups who display Thumbs Up! signage including ALPA ( Arnhem land Progress Association) in the NT, Outback Stores in the NT and WA, Retail stores Group in FNQ and Cape York and several independent outlets. The signage placed in store reinforces the core message of “Good Tucker – Long Life” that is the subject of the songs and videos produced from structured workshops held at schools and in community. Thumbs Up! was successfully funded by the Federal Department of Health for six years and three successful evaluations showed that the program was indeed working. Unfortunately, Government funding for the core nutrition program, Uncle Jimmy Thumbs Up! was withdrawn under the Abbott Federal Government but the company has been able to diversify into other areas of health promotion while still delivering healthy lifestyle messages as they continue their work. Thumbs Up! is currently working in the APY lands of SA in partnership with the Indigenous Eye Health Unit of Melbourne University on a Trachoma awareness program the also combines elements of the nutrition program including “cook ups” and store appearances by Thumbs Up! facilitators, who are all entertainers in their own right. Other recent projects have included a suite of alcohol and other drugs and family and domestic violence awareness videos and messages for the NT Department of Heath and social inclusion and media and music training in the NT community of Wadeye (Port Keats). Thumbs Up ! also recently conducted a highly successful intensive workshop at Uluru with over 70 students from APY, NPY and WA border schools on the power of words and communication. Many teachers in schools across Australia continue to use the healthy lifestyle lesson plans and educational aids on the Thumbs Up ! website that have been recently mapped to the National curriculum. The lesson plans, healthy food songs, videos and AOD messages can be found on our website http://www.thumbsup.org.au
- Urls: http://www.ruralhealth.org.au/14nrhc/sites/default/files/Bidstrup%2C%20Graham_C9.pdf Available from, http://www.ruralhealth.org.au/14nrhc/program/concurrent-speakers Download site
- Publisher Location: Cairns