MOBILE, Ala. — Regional and national health concerns, particularly those related to obesity, will soon be addressed in a fun and informative way. The Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center in downtown Mobile and Infirmary Health System (IHS, parent of Thomas Hospital in Fairhope and North Baldwin Infirmary in Bay Minette) have teamed up to create My BodyWorks, a permanent exhibit featuring more than 50 interactive, health-related kiosks. The total health experience for kids and grownups will open Monday, Jan. 19.

The new science-based gallery couldn’t have come at a better time. Obese adults now outnumber those who are merely overweight in this country, according to the results of a study recently released by the federal government.

Data from the National Center for Health Statistics indicates that more than 34 percent of Americans are obese, compared to 32.7 percent who are overweight. Just under 6 percent are considered extremely obese.

More than one-third of adults (over 72 million people) were obese in 2005-2006, the NCHS stated in its report.

The numbers are based on a survey of 4,356 adults over age 20, who take part in a regular health survey conducted by NCHS, a department of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

“Our primary goal is to provide the general public with some primary science information, and to show how that relates to their personal fitness,” said Melissa Dean, Exploreum health gallery coordinator. “One answer is not going to be right for everybody.”

In what they are calling “a perfectly portioned plate of entertainment and education,” the Exploreum staff hopes My BodyWorks will be a regular stop for people of all ages interested in learning more about the importance of taking care of their body.

Children and adults, as well as seniors with emerging health issues, will have fun while at the same time learning about sensible eating, the importance of daily physical activity, innovative surgical techniques and the causes and effects of heart disease, stroke and diabetes — the most pressing health concerns in the region.

Hospital officials say everyone has a stake in community health.

“The goal of the Infirmary Foundation in partnering with the Exploreum is to showcase the state-of-the-art health care technologies available in our region, as well as to educate the public about the opportunities they have to manage their own health and wellness,” said Mark Nix, IHS president and CEO. “We also see this exhibit as an incredible workforce development tool by inspiring young people to pursue careers in health care and medicine.”

One interactive kiosk located inside the gallery centerpiece — the Ernest G. DeBakey Virtual Surgery Center — informs visitors about 14 different professional opportunities in the medical profession, including jobs such as doctor, nurse, physical therapist, pharmacist, patient registration technician and speech pathologist.

Exploreum spokesperson Kristen Dreaper said, “This might be the one thing a child sees and says, ‘this is what I want to do.’ This exhibit can save lives and send people into different career paths.”

While in the DeBakey center, visitors also may perform virtual heart bypass and knee replacement surgery. They can also simulate the complex hand-eye coordination required of endoscopic surgeons.

With much of the exhibit software created especially for the Exploreum, and high resolution imagery furnished to the museum by Blausen Media, the exhibits are likely to draw large crowds as time goes by.

“Many of the exhibits feature virtual reality, but the augmented reality kiosks are one of the knock-your-socks-off components of the gallery,” said Peter Feher, My BodyWorks exhibit designer.

Instead of simulating reality, augmented reality combines computer technology with real world images for a unique educational experience. One Exploreum augmented reality exhibit demonstrates cardiac blood flow and oxygenation — 3-D images of a beating heart seem to jump from the screen and into your hands.

But, it’s perhaps more difficult to ignore the elephant in the room. My Beating Heart is a 12-foot-tall, realistic throbbing cardiac muscle with LED-illuminated veins and arteries.

A few times each hour, the heart pulsates at a more rapid rate as sirens wail and lights flash to alert bystanders the female patient is in distress and requires immediate medical attention.

“It simulates a heart attack every 20 minutes,” Dean said. “It’s focused on women because they need to worry about it just like men.”

There are 11 BeHealthy activity stations that were installed in order to promote health concepts and emphasize that fitness is key to healthy living. Sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, these exhibits enable visitors to test and record on a card their fitness levels in areas such as muscle endurance, body mass index (BMI), reaction time, pulse and high-jump ability.

Other stations include opportunities to learn more about healthy food choices and how they can be put in practice. Dreaper said, “You don’t have to limit the food you eat if you eat well. Make wise choices.”

When exiting the gallery, those who put themselves through the physical and mental paces of some or all of the BeHealthy stations can receive a personalized score sheet to review at home or compare on their next visit.

The My BodyWorks gallery also houses the BioLab, a learning center where visitors participate in a variety of experiments and activities that apply biological concepts to everyday life. Audiovisual equipment and audience-centered design guarantees each participant VIP seating in the middle of the educational action.

Dean said, “How often do kids get to be on the edge of their seats for science? It’s something interesting and something that makes them think about their personal health.”

Even children age 5 and under will find activities that will interest them. My BodyParts is an interactive wall designed for those who might also visit the nearby Wharf of Wonder gallery. In addition to having a chance to place internal organs where they are meant to be in a lifesize magnetic jigsaw puzzle, an adjacent sound walls plays the sounds made by various parts of the body — from knuckle cracking to stomach growling, from coughing to flatulence.

“We have serious and fun goals,” Dean said. “There’s solid scientific information. We want kids to have fun, to touch it, to experience it with all their senses.”

Exploreum educational staff and guest health educators plan to create programming that will change every two months, giving audiences a unique experience whenever they visit.

“Because of the changing demonstrations, because of the changing tabletops, each time you come back you’ll get a different experience and take home some new memories,” she noted.

“This gallery is unlike any other in the Exploreum and is just about the first of its kind in the country,” said Michael Sullivan, Exploreum executive director. “We expect other science centers across the country to adopt and adapt many of these new health educational tools to create exciting experiences for their visitors.”

All of the exhibits have been custom-designed, and almost half of the exhibits in the 6,500-square-foot gallery use the latest advances in high-definition, touch screen and virtual reality technologies.

Dean said, “You really have to make the instructional message clear with the text, but when they get their hands on it, they’re really going to understand. It’s a tactile experience.”

Feher has more than 18 years experience designing science center exhibits. He led all design aspects of the Exploreum’s new exhibit, from the interior design (wall colors and shapes, carpet selection and lighting) to the technical intricacies of integrating mechanical and computer equipment into the custom-designed, one-of-a-kind exhibit kiosks.

“I wanted the gallery to have a high-tech, futuristic atmosphere, reflective of the medical industry of the 21st century,” he said.

The design and production work were compressed into a record 18 months, from the time the designer arrived on the Gulf Coast to begin the project in September 2007, until the gallery was ready for the public.

“A project this complex would normally take two to three years to complete with many designers working on the project,” said Feher. “It was a challenge to meet the Exploreum’s short timeframe, but all the more satisfying to know we could do it.”

In addition to the Infirmary Foundation and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, My BodyWorks is also presented by the Ernest G. DeBakey Charitable Foundation and the Coca-Cola Foundation.

Eleanor Kulin, longtime Exploreum staff member, was the overall project manager. The IHS medical and human resources staff contributed significantly to content and general direction.

“This was truly a team effort,” Sullivan said.

The Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center, 65 Government St. in Mobile, is a not-for-profit, community-owned organization created to promote science education along the Gulf Coast. The Exploreum was named Alabama’s 2008 Attraction of the Year by the Alabama Department of Tourism and Travel, and is the seventh most visited attraction in the state.

For more information about My BodyWorks, call (251) 208-6873, (877) 625-4FUN or visit www.exploreum.com.