Pee is Key to National Kidney Foundation's Bold Awareness Campaign

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Jun 12, 2015, 10:00 ET

NEW YORK, June 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) has launched a cheeky campaign to promote kidney health and motivate people to get their urine screened.

EverybodyPees is an irreverent, educational animated music video plus a website (www.everybodypees.org) that focuses on the places people pee. The number one goal of the campaign is to link one of the kidneys' primary functions -- the production of urine -- to overall kidney health. Pee is important because urine testing can reveal the earliest signs of kidney damage.

EverybodyPees by the National Kidney Foundation.

"Our research has shown that half of Americans don't understand that healthy kidneys are responsible for creating urine," said Kevin Longino, interim CEO of the National Kidney Foundation. "Urine also happens to hold the key to catching kidney disease, especially among the 73 million Americans who are at risk. The message may be unconventional, but it is educational and actionable – get your urine checked for kidney health."

Kidney disease is at an alarming proportion in the United States. Over 26 million American adults have kidney disease and most don't know it. More than 40% of people who go into kidney failure each year fail to see a nephrologist before starting dialysis -- a key indicator that kidney disease isn't being identified in its earliest stages.

"People aren't getting the message that they can easily identify kidney disease through inexpensive, simple tests," said Jeffrey Berns, MD, President of the National Kidney Foundation. "Keeping kidneys top-of-mind in the restroom will hopefully remind people that they should be asking about their kidneys when they visit their healthcare professional, especially if they have diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of kidney failure, or are over age 60."

EverybodyPees is NKF's first attempt to tackle a serious national health problem from a relatable, consumer angle. The campaign was produced in collaboration with Publicis LifeBrands Medicus.

"We are flipping public health education messaging on its head – using humor to get our message across and foregoing scare tactic messaging," Longino said. "We're going out on a limb with our core message on urine testing, but we need to take risks if we're going to alter the course of kidney disease in this country."

Kidney Facts:

1 in 3 American adults is at high risk for developing kidney disease today.
High blood pressure, diabetes, a family history of kidney failure and being over 60 are major risk factors for developing kidney disease.
1 in 9 American adults has kidney disease -- and most don't know it.
Early detection and treatment can slow or prevent the progression of kidney disease.
Kidney disease risk can be reduced by controlling blood pressure and blood sugar, quitting smoking, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding excessive use of pain medications.

The National Kidney Foundation is the leading organization in the U.S. dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease. For more information, visit www.kidney.org.

Video - http://youtu.be/y165Gv_SBd4

SOURCE National Kidney Foundation