Conceived by Eric Meredith, ‘Health Heroes’ is a new series of comic books and a social network dedicated to helping children find victory through lifelong good health, character development and overall wellness. The project has brought comic book and healthcare professionals from across the nation together to produce ‘The Balance’, their first release. When young readers have finished becoming superheroes and protecting the world from destructive forces, they can head over to the Health Heroes social network; a unique place for exploring health interests, creating social content and sharing experiences with their peers.

Chicago, IL -- (SBWire) -- 01/13/2015 --There's no way to sugarcoat the facts; many young children are being diagnosed with diseases (such as Type II Diabetes and heart conditions) once reserved for adults, and millions risk having shorter life spans than their parents. Empowering youth to foster healthy habits and take care of their wellbeing is no easy task, but studies from the University of Cincinnati have uncovered an unlikely yet life-saving education medium – comic books.

Having provided health education to thousands of youth, Eric Meredith knows the importance of presenting complex health information in a way that is easy to understand and engaging. Frustrated by the lack of material to educate youth about health in their language and at their level, he had the great idea to bring comic book and healthcare professionals together to launch 'Health Heroes' - a series of comic books and an associated social network tasked with getting the world's youth committed to good health and positive character development.

'Health Heroes Comics: The Balance' is the project's debut creation; an engaging, gripping and ultimately uplifting adventure about saving the world from destructive forces by becoming a superhero to one's own health. Nine to thirteen year-olds can finally leverage their strengths and learn healthy lifestyle habits without the complex jargon and confusing messages that often send them back to the cookie jar.

Synopsis:

Sometimes the world faces a problem so great that it calls on special people, often called heroes, to come to the rescue in times of need. A new breed of young heroes called the H-TEAM has answered the call to help children leverage their strengths and protect the world from destructive forces. The first issue details the events that transpire when a powerful alien arrives on Earth and disrupts the planet's natural balance through the creation of a team of super-beings, and what results when her equally-powerful twin brother creates a team of young superheroes to counter this new threat. The members of the H-Team are courageous, powerful, and able to overcome any obstacle while doing great deeds at the same time. At Health Heroes Comics, we believe that every child can become a superhero by learning how to achieve optimal health and helping other kids do the same.

"We recently discovered that comics have a huge influence on hard to reach populations, such as children, making them the perfect medium to provide health promotion and positive role models through engaging stories that touch the minds and hearts of children," explains Meredith, a classically-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian, and Certified Youth Exercise Specialist. "Never before have we been able to help the healthcare profession spread its message in such a blockbuster fashion that entertains, educates, and empowers youth to be healthy and whole."

Continuing, "And finding ways to effectively promote health to youth is more needed than ever before. Obesity is a fatal epidemic in our society, driving life expectancies for today's younger generation lower than anyone thought possible. It's vital that we educate youth now so they become healthy adults and pass what they know onto the next generation. If we can help millions of children become health superheroes and affect change in their peers and communities, we're on track to reverse the epidemic that will cause some parents to outlive their children."

Meredith is confident that the project's cutting-edge approach will be instrumental to its success. "Research shows that children getting health education through comic books are more likely to choose healthier habits than their peers. We're coupling the comic book with our social network dedicated to bringing children and adult experts together to share experiences that ultimately empower youth to take charge of their health," he adds.

'Health Heroes Comics: The Incredible H-Team' is available now: http://amzn.to/14lARWx

For more information, visit the official website: http://www.h-team.com

About Eric Paul Meredith
Eric Paul Meredith is a classically trained chef, Registered Dietitian, and Certified Youth Exercise Specialist. Over the last seven years, he has worked with thousands of young people and established himself as an expert in childhood health education and promotion. By focusing on youth, he hopes to change behaviors early and empower children to develop healthy life-long habits.