Are you excited about First Lady Michelle Obama’s new anti-childhood obesity initiative, Let’s Move?  You should be.  But, before you get too enthusiastic, consider recent history.

Early in the last decade a new public health initiative was launched to great fanfare and public acclaim.  The cause: reducing childhood obesity. Funding was appropriated, policymakers were corralled and the initiative began.

Over the years, the initiative was led by a single public health agency, which relied on its standard roster of talented agencies, evaluation companies, researchers and others to launch, improve and monitor the strength of the project. The news was good and got better.  Children were moving again and behaviors were changing.

Then disaster struck.  One day, the news broke that the project had been de-funded.  Much gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair ensued.  A single funding vine was cut and years of work went out the window.

VERB was the name of that doomed initiative.  It is widely considered to be one of the best examples of the power of sustained public health communications and social marketing to change behavior.  To learn more about VERB, see this case study.

Let’s Move & The Curve of Death

VERB is not the only initiative that has been harmed by what I call the Curve of Death.  I define the Curve of Death as the build-up and eventual loss of momentum and energy around major public health projects.  Why does this happen?  Well, there are many reasons. One of the most important is that input from outsiders is often not acknowledged and incorporated into the design and evolution of these projects — especially when it comes to communications and behavior change.

We can see the Curve of Death’s dynamics currently playing out with Let’s Move.  Consider the project’s Facebook Fan Page.  Currently, there are dozens of comments on the page’s wall.  Many people are excited about the initiative and provide links to efforts they have launched focusing on anti-obesity efforts.  How will this energy be harnessed?  How will these ideas and knowledge gained from previous efforts be considered and potentially expanded?

I spent some time this weekend developing an in-depth case study on Let’s Move, so I think I understand some of the things they are doing right.  The First Lady has launched the Partnership for a Healthier America, which is designed to develop “a strong network of members across the business, government, academic, and nonprofit sectors that will accelerate efforts to address childhood obesity in support of the First Lady’s national target of solving the crisis within a generation.”  The Partnership already has some high-profile members, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The California Endowment.

However, these groups are part of what I call the “insider class.”  They will have access to the decision makers and likely influence who receives the bulk of funding and which ideas for Let’s Move will be implemented.  What of the outsiders, the ones who might be able to take Let’s Move and make it sing in communities across the country? Will they have input, will they receive funding, will they be able to make a difference?

Insider control, centralized control & funding contribute to the Curve of Death.

Learn About the Curve of Death and Take Action

This blog and the Project I help manage is dedicated to educating and activating people engaged in communicating about health and wellness. Perhaps together, using the resources of the Project, we can help Let’s Move avoid the Curve of Death and achieve its goals.

I’ve put together a brief presentation on the Curve of Death concept along with a call to action. I’ve already begun working with a few individuals to address the issues I outlined in the presentation.  I invite you to join us on our knowledge community Living the Path for discussion — and eventually — action.  If you join, indicate in the “About Me” section of the registration form that you are interested in the group forming around Let’s Move.

The presentation is below.

Read More from Walking the Path:

1. Tools You Can Use: Planning, Approving and Evaluating a Pharmaceutical Social Media Marketing Initiative
2. Failure Happens
3. Collaboration: Long and Winding Road or Shortest Distance Between Two Points?