HealthCorps program is headed to charter school in Oklahoma City

Led by a full-time health coordinator, the program will address childhood obesity by teaching teens to embrace healthier habits. Continental Resources, an oil company based in Oklahoma City, is the founding sponsor of HealthCorps in Oklahoma.

“HealthCorps is an innovative approach to transforming lives and communities,” said Harold Hamm, chairman and chief executive officer of Continental Resources and founder of the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center at the University of Oklahoma. “It's well-known that a balanced diet and regular exercise help students learn better. Through our partnership with HealthCorps, we aim to give Oklahoma teens the foundation for a vibrant and prosperous future.”

Mehmet Oz, host of “The Dr. Oz Show” and vice chair and professor of surgery at Columbia University Medical Center, conceived HealthCorps in 2003 after finding himself operating on patients in their 20s who were in need of heart surgery because of poor lifestyle choices. He set out to save a generation of youths from having shorter life spans than those of their parents.

“HealthCorps is committed to reaching high school students to empower a new generation of agents of change for personal wellness,” Dr. Oz said. “At HealthCorps, our school coordinators are on the front lines making health hip for teens by getting them to read food labels, increase physical activity and serve their communities. Continental's leadership in bringing this movement to Oklahoma means better health and better opportunities for thousands of teens and community members.”