April 2006

News from the PAN Branch

CDC DNPA Partner in Advancing Public Health Award Recipient Announced - Dr. Carolyn Dunn, NC Cooperative Extension Service

On behalf of the PAN Branch and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Nutrition and Physical Activity Program to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases, we are pleased to announce the first NC recipient of the Partner in Advancing Public Health Award.

The main criteria for selection of the Partner in Advancing Public Health Award is a state partner who has been a leader in helping to further the state’s nutrition and physical activity efforts. In considering potential recipients of this award, many deserving partners‚Äô names came to mind. This year however we chose to nominate one partner who has been at the forefront of many statewide initiatives and programs for many years. The recipient of the Partner in Advancing Public Health Award is, Carolyn Dunn, PhD, representing the NC Cooperative Extension Service, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Dr. Carolyn Dunn is an energetic, innovative leader in the field of Nutrition Education and Family and Consumer Sciences. She is recognized and respected among nutrition colleagues in North Carolina and throughout the nation for her contributions to her field of study. Throughout her career, Dr. Dunn has developed creative, educational programs addressing women’s health and child nutrition issues. She has been the catalyst in bringing interdisciplinary teams together, combining the talents and resources of other public agencies and private industry to develop programs and curriculum that have made significant impact to North Carolina women and children.

Dr. Dunn has made significant contributions to the field of public health by making nutrition and physical activity a priority and investing creative energy to develop innovative programs. She has great skill in merging nontraditional delivery strategies, as well as mass media to deliver nutrition messages to the public. As a result, she has developed innovative educational programs that incorporate the use of video, interactive multimedia, web, music, print and more to address women’s health and child nutrition.

Dr. Dunn also had a leadership role in the development and implementation of the creation of the Eat Smart and Move More Standards for Schools; Women Living Healthy Living Well, a program designed for adult women that uses an interactive CD focused on healthy eating, physical activity and women’s health issues; Sybershop, a program designed for children aged 13-19 that uses an interactive CD focusing on physical activity and healthy eating; Color Me Healthy, a program designed for limited resource children ages 4-5 that uses music, color, creative movement, and interactive learning activities to teach physical activity and healthy eating; Families Eating Smart and Moving More curriculum and resources, and many other innovative programs. Dr. Dunn and the NC Cooperative Extension Service‚Äôs dedication to public health are vividly apparent.
Congratulations Dr. Dunn on a job well done and for your sincere dedication to advancing our state‚Äôs nutrition and physical activity efforts!

Public Health Week Begins April 3

April 3-9 is National Public Health Week. Designing Healthy Communities, Raising Healthy Kids focuses on raising awareness of the impact roads, sidewalks and school location has on child health, especially obesity prevention. How safe is your community for children to walk or bike to school? A tool will be available on the www.EatSmartMoveMoreNC.com Web site for communities to use to assess their community‚Äôs safety for walking and biking.

PAN Branch welcomes Charlotte Parsons

Charlotte Parsons recently joined the PAN Branch to assist the Physical Activity Unit. Most recently Charlotte was with Wake County Schools, working with School Psychology as a secretary for the lead administrators and the school based psychologists. We are excited to have Charlotte as part of our team.

Programs, Projects and Initiatives

Sample School Wellness Policies Available as Deadline Approaches

The North Carolina School Boards Association has created a sample school wellness policy that school districts may find helpful in fulfilling the requirements set out by the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 2005 that requires school districts to develop local policy addressing nutrition, physical activity and staff wellness. The sample policy can be adapted to meet specific, local needs. The sample policy is available in pdf form on the NCSBA web site.

Team Nutrition, part of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, also offers resources to help create, implement and evaluate local school wellness policy. See sample policies on Team Nutrition‚Äôs web site.

Success Stories

Healthy Soul Food Cooking Demonstrations on UNC Public Television

The weblink below links you to the UNC Public Television Website, where you will see references and weblinks to the NC 5 a day site, the Eat Smart, Move More NC website, our sample healthy eating and physical activity policies and the ability to download the broadcast of the Black Issues Forum, which focuses on Soul Food Cooking and features Suzzette Goldmon from NC Cooperative Extension Service and Mrs. Leolia Spaugh, a community nutrition advocate from Raleigh. We were pleased to suggest these two ladies when the request from UNC-TV came in to work on this topic.

Many of you may want to share this information with programs you work with, since it shows some cooking demonstrations and provides important information, by two enthusiastic nutrition specialists. The program also features a recipe from the Black Churches United for Better Health Cookbook.

Deborah Holt from UNC-TV produced this show, so please share your comments and feedback with her. We think you will agree the program is excellent and shares Eat Smart, Move More messages that are important for North Carolinians.

You can find the the weblink here.

For more information contact Deborah Holt dholt@unctv.org.

Featured Resources and Research

US Department of Defense Nutrition Website

The Department of Defense‚Äôs website contains nutrition many useful materials that are updated throughout the year. For more information go to this link.

Availability of Nutrition Information from Chain Restaurants in the United States

A study in this month‚Äôs American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that while the number of restaurants providing nutrition information has increased over the last 10 years, making informed and healthful food choices is hampered by the absence of nutrition information at many restaurants (only 44% of the largest chain restaurants in the country provide nutrition information for the majority of their menu items). The abstract for the study is below.
Take a minute to write to your governor and urge him/her to amend your state‚Äôs Food Code to require fast-food and other chain restaurants to provide calorie and other key nutrition information on menus. You can find a model letter and your governor‚Äôs email address at this link. If you would like to help to get menu labeling regulations passed in your city or state, please email Margo G. Wootan.

Availability of Nutrition Information from Chain Restaurants in the United States

Margo G. Wootan D.Sc. and Melissa Osborn, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington DC

Background
Although obesity and poor dietary habits are complex multifactorial problems, away-from-home food has been identified as one likely and important contributor. Restaurants provide a growing and substantial portion of the average American‚Äôs diet, yet the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA), which went into effect in 1994, explicitly exempts restaurants from most labeling requirements. Thus, this study examined the availability of nutrition information from the largest chain restaurants in the United States.

Methods
Between January and August 2004, we surveyed the 300 largest chain restaurants by telephone, e-mail, or examining company websites (response rate was 96%). The top chains, as ranked by revenue, were selected based on 2002 ratings in Restaurants and Institutions.

Results
Fifty-four percent of the 287 largest chain restaurants made some nutrition information available. Forty-four percent had nutrition information for the majority of their standard menu items. We found no significant differences in the availability of nutrition information based on the size of the restaurant chain. Of those restaurants with nutrition information, 86% provided information on the company website.

Conclusions
The number of restaurants providing nutrition information has increased over the last 10 years. However, making informed and healthful food choices is hampered by the absence of nutrition information at many restaurants. Given the growing and significant role that away-from-home foods play in Americans‚Äô diets, the Surgeon General and the National Academies‚Äô Institute of Medicine recommend that nutrition information be available to customers at restaurants, and state legislatures and the U.S. Congress are beginning to address the issue.

Dr. Margo G. Wootan
Director, Nutrition Policy
Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)
1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009
PH: 202-777-8352
Fax: 202-265-4954
mwootan@cspinet.org
www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy

New Study on Food Marketing in Schools: Captive Kids Easy Target for Junk Food Marketers

Sacramento, California– Kids are repeatedly exposed to unhealthy product ads and logos on vending machines, signage and posters on school campuses every day, according to a new survey released today by the Public Health Institute (PHI).

The first statewide survey to look at the prevalence of marketing on high school campuses found that 60 percent of food and beverage product posters and signage promote foods and beverages high in sugar, sodium and fat, and low in nutrients.

“Everywhere children go they are bombarded with marketing messages designed to make them lifelong consumers of sugary, fat-laden foods,” said Carmen Nevarez, MD, MPH, medical director and vice president of external relations for Public Health Institute (PHI), the Oakland-based, nonprofit health organization that commissioned the survey. “With youth obesity rates skyrocketing, schools should be a safe haven from this deluge.”

The Food and Beverage Marketing on California High School Campuses Survey, prepared by the research firm Samuels & Associates with underwriting from The California Endowment, found the vast majority of all advertising ‚Äì posters, vending ads, events, etc. ‚Äì came from soda, beverage, fast food and junk food companies. Among the findings, nearly 65 percent of vending machine ads and 71 percent of logos displayed on equipment were for soda and other sweetened beverages.
There is strong evidence that marketing of foods and beverages to children influences their preferences, requests, purchases and diets, according to a 2006 Institute of Medicine report on food marketing to children. Moreover, the percentage of overweight adolescents has more than tripled since 1980, according to statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Schools are not the appropriate venue for junk food marketing. Getting rid of vending machines that sell sugary soft drinks and unhealthy snacks is a step in the right direction for reducing sugar and fat content,” said Robert K. Ross, MD, president and chief executive officer of The California Endowment. “It is in the best interest of California‚Äôs youth that schools promote healthy behaviors and provide opportunities for nutritious foods and physical activity.”

Of the schools surveyed, 45 percent reported a district policy that addressed marketing, but none of these policies explicitly limited or banned marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages.
“How are we supposed to promote healthy eating when we are up against a multibillion dollar high-sugar and fat fast food industry marketing to our students right on campus?” Nevarez asked. “State legislation is helping schools to limit the unhealthy foods and beverages they sell, and marketing policies at the school district level should be consistent with these standards ‚Äì supporting students to make healthier choices,” she said.

“What many people don‚Äôt realize is that recent federal law requires every school district in the country to establish local wellness policies by July 2006,” said Victoria Berends, marketing manager of the Public Health Institute. “We believe these wellness policies should include a ban on all marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages at school. The school environment should be fully devoted to teaching healthful, lifelong dietary patterns.”

One model program helping to address the problem is California Project LEAN (Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutrition). Working with over 30 California school districts, the program helps district administrators and school boards establish policies that support healthy eating and physical activity.
For more information, including the tool kit “Captive Kids: Selling Obesity at Schools,” log on to the Public Health Institute‚Äôs web site.

About the Survey
The Public Health Institute‚Äôs Food and Beverage Marketing on California High School Campuses Survey was conducted by Samuels & Associates with underwriting from The California Endowment. The survey assessed the prevalence of unhealthy food and beverage marketing on 20 high school campuses in 13 counties across California.

About The California Endowment
The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation, was established in 1996 to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. The Endowment makes grants to organizations and institutions that directly benefit the health and well-being of the people of California. For more information, visit The Endowment‚Äôs Web site at www.calendow.org.

To view the press kit, go to this link.

Legislation

No updates available this month.

Grants/Awards

Funding Opportunities from State and Local Foundations and Organizations

The National Gardening Association is supporting youth gardening programs through several initiatives. Its Healthy Sprouts Awards, sponsored by Gardener’s Supply Company, recognize outstanding school garden programs that use the garden to teach about nutrition and the issue of hunger in the United States. Recognized programs will receive a $200 gift certificate to Gardener’s Supply Company, a literature and curriculum package from the association, and association Supporter benefits for one year. The association also partners with The Home Depot to offer Youth Garden Grants. The application for the 2007 grant cycle of this program was scheduled to be available on February 28, 2006. To check on the availability of the application and for information about other National Garden Association funding programs, go to this link.

Congressional Hunger Center and Victory Wholesale Grocers Offer $1,000 Checks to Fifteen (15) Hunger-Fighting Organizations in the U.S.

Washington, DC ‚Äì February 26, 2006 ‚Äì The Congressional Hunger Center and Victory Wholesale Grocers of Springboro, Ohio, and Boca Raton, Florida, are announcing the 2006 Fourteenth Anniversary “Victory Against Hunger Awards.” The awards are fifteen $1,000 grants to be presented to anti-hunger organizations, food banks, schools, state agencies, and nutrition and health groups. The total unrestricted grants from Victory Wholesale Grocers have now reached $218,000 since their inception in 1993.

A panel of experts will choose awardees based on their success in achieving the goal expressed by this year‚Äôs theme, “Fighting Hunger through Developing and/or Implementing Local and State School Meals Wellness Policies.” This theme was chosen because CHC believes that the implementation of wellness plans for children‚Äôs school meals programs that incorporate nutrition education, physical activity and improve the quality of foods served are the best way to educate this generation of children to pursue healthy eating habits and promote a healthy diet. Special consideration will be given to groups whose wellness policies incorporate the goals of increased access to school meals programs. Organizations or schools that can demonstrate innovative local or state wellness policies for school children are eligible for a Victory Against Hunger Award.

The annual “Victory Against Hunger Awards” were established by David Kantor, President of Victory Wholesale Grocers, to recognize outstanding organizations in the United States that work to end hunger and improve nutrition and health at the local level. Fourteen years ago Kantor teamed up with then-Congressional Hunger Center Chairman, Rep. Tony Hall, because each believed strongly in the value of keeping members of Congress involved in solving the problem of hunger. CHC‚Äôs co-chairs, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson and Rep. James P. McGovern, are now carrying on this noble tradition.

Under the Hunger Awards program, potential awardees may only be nominated by a member of U.S. Congress. The application process consists of a one or two page letter from a member of Congress to the Congressional Hunger Center highlighting the nominee‚Äôs efforts in “Fighting Hunger through Developing and/or Implementing Local and State School Meals Wellness Policies.” The nomination period is April 10th through May 31st. Awards will be made in July. Congressional nomination letters should be addressed to Victory Against Hunger, c/o Congressional Hunger Center, 229 ¬Ω Pennsylvania Ave, SE, Washington, DC 20003. The name and telephone number, including area code, of a contact person from the Congressional office accepting the check must accompany each nomination.

Founded in 1979, Victory Wholesale Grocers is a wholesale distributor of dry groceries and health and beauty care products. Victory is a national company, employing hundreds of people across the country, that distributes to wholesalers and retailers across the United States and Puerto Rico.

Established in 1993, the Congressional Hunger Center‚Äôs mission is to fight hunger by developing leaders who have a shared commitment to a nation and a world free from hunger. It embodies the spirit and goal of the former House Select Committee on Hunger, “to find real solutions to hunger and poverty.” CHC administers the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows Program and the Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellows Program.

Tips on Winning a Victory Against Hunger Award

Contact the local office of the House or Senate member who represents the constituents that participate in your organization‚Äôs or school‚Äôs program in their state. There is no application for a VAH award. A member of Congress simply submits a one or two page letter describing how your organization has been effective in developing and implementing local/state school lunch wellness policies.
Explain to the Congressional Office how the VAH awards program is a “win/win” situation in that members of Congress get an opportunity to recognize (with a private sector donated cash award) the valuable work of one of their constituent organizations. Each Congressional member will learn a great deal about school wellness policies and become a program supporter while your organization or school will receive recognition for a job well done.
Make sure that you give the Congressional office all the information it needs to clearly demonstrate that your organization is effectively developing and/or implementing local/state school lunch wellness policies.
Consideration is only given to nomination letters which include the name, address, and telephone number of a contact person in either the local or Washington, DC, Congressional office willing to accept the VAH award check.
CHC normally receives more than 65 nominations. We encourage you to apply early to ensure receipt of materials by the deadline.

For additional information about the Congressional Hunger Center, please see this site.

CONTACT:
Ed Cooney or Amera Bilal
Congressional Hunger Center
229 1/2 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20003
Phone: (202) 547-7022
Fax: (202) 547-7575

Training and Professional Development

SAVE the DATE–2006 NC 5 A Day Symposium & Excellence Award Ceremony–August 9, 2006 Twin City Quarter–Winston-Salem, NC

The goal of the symposium is for participants to return to their communities with resources and innovative ideas for promoting fruit and vegetable consumption in schools, WIC Programs, Farmers‚Äô Markets, health departments, and other community avenues.

Registration will be $30 and will include lunch and symposium materials.

Registration materials will be available in May at this site and this site.

Nutrition and Physical Activity Teleconferences

Every month, the CDC Division of Nutrition & Physical Activity (DNPA) sponsors a monthly teleconference on a variety of topics, but mostly dealing with nutrition &/or physical activity. The calls are scheduled the 2nd Thursday of each month from 1:30-2:30 p.m. The next call will be held on April 13, 2006. The topic will be “Beyond Wheeling Walks: Enhanced Planning, Environment, and Policy Components” presented by Bill Reger-Nash, Ed.D, Professor of Community Medicine, West Virginia University School of Medicine. Anyone who would like the handouts or participate in future calls please send an email here.

National 5 A Day Teleconferences

Each month, the National 5 A Day Partnership sponsors calls geared toward each State 5 a Day Coordinator. The calls are scheduled the first Tuesday of the month from 1:00 -2:30 p.m. Included below is the tentative schedule for the remainder of 2006.

April 4th
Developing Cultural Competence, “What We Need to Know”
Carol Ann Brannon, MS,RD
May 2nd
Evaluation
Vincent Francisco, PhD
June 6th
My Pyramid.com
Jackie Haven
July
No Call
August 1st PBH
Retail

September 5th

Advocacy
Tracy Fox

October 3rd
Evaluation ‚Äì Translating Research into Practice
TBA
November 7th
Strategic Thinking
TBA
December 5th
Council of 5 A Day Coordinators

If you are interested in possibly participating in the calls or receive the handouts, please send an email to nc5aday@ncmail.net.

The CDC Diabetes and Obesity Conference

May 16-19, 2006
Denver, Colorado

Going a Mile High Against Diabetes and Obesity: A Look to the Future, CDC‚Äôs Division of Diabetes Translation will convene its 29th Annual Diabetes Conference May 16‚Äì19, 2006, at the Adam’s Mark Hotel, 1550 Court Place, Denver, CO.

The collaboration between CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation and Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity will provide a forum to discuss issues concerning both diabetes and obesity.
The conference will bring together more than 800 participants from a wide range of local, state, federal, and territorial governmental agencies along with private-sector diabetes and obesity partners. See a preliminary agenda and registration information at this link by March 3, 2006.

National Fruit and Vegetable Stakeholder Conference in Seattle, WA, June 9-10, 2006.

This year‚Äôs conference ‚Äì BE SEEN, BE HEARD, CREATE SUCCESS: OPPORTUNITY FOR ACTION ‚Äì represents a tangible way for you to be part of a movement to improve fruit and vegetable consumption for all Americans. This conference, which includes two back-to-back national gatherings of the United States Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Produce for Better Health Foundation will be attended by some of the most influential leaders in the fruit and vegetable world including 5 A Day Coordinators, Child Nutrition Directors, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program states, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, public health professionals and leaders in the produce industry from across the USA. The national 5 A Day Program will have a new look and feel ‚Äì you will be one of the first to learn about the new brand and program identity.

The deadline for conference registration is May 19th. There is no registration fee for the National Stakeholders Conference.

The deadline for hotel reservations is April 30.

Use this link to access the conference website where you will find registration and additional background information.

Message from Diane Beth: This conference is open to anyone who would like to attend. I would love for as many of my NC colleagues to come as is feasible. I anticipate that this conference will be well attended, so I would encourage you to register as soon as you are sure you will be able to attend. Please let me know if you are considering attending this conference. Send an email to me at nc5aday@ncmail.net.

CSHP By The Sea 2006

July 10 ‚Äì 13, 2006
Wilmington, NC

With a great agenda focused on Coordinated School Health and Personal Wellness on campus at UNC-W! Make plans NOW to join us ‚Äì participation will be limited to 250 people! Bring your team representing the eight areas of a Coordinated School Health Program and hear national speakers as well as presenters from all parts of North Carolina.

In addition to keynote and breakout sessions, CSHP By The Sea will feature opportunities for you to experience best practices sessions, improve your own personal wellness, and participate in a variety of activities! School Health Advisory Councils will have the opportunity to apply for possible funding as well as submit the Healthy Active Children Progress Report.

For more information contact: Anne Marie Jenks, Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Tobacco Consultant, NC Healthy School, (919) 807-3909 / ajenks@dpi.state.nc.us.

Nutrition and Public Health Course for Community Practitioners Course

August 20-25, 2006 in Chapel Hill, NC
Course Content

This intensive 5-day course serves public health practitioners (both nutritionists and non-nutritionists) who work with populations with little or no access to health care services. Emphasis is given to nutrition interventions for low-income and minority women at increased risk for chronic diseases associated with dietary and lifestyle practices. The curriculum is designed for practitioners with a desire to learn more about planning and developing nutrition interventions at the individual, organizational, community, and policy levels. Faculty with practical and/or academic expertise in public health approaches to healthy eating will teach both behavioral and environmental nutrition interventions.

The nutrition course offers an informal learning environment, an emphasis on interactive teaching, and a small group practicum applicable to challenges facing participants. Participants and faculty share meals together, and faculty are available for individual consultation sessions. Days are jam-packed with activity but course participants are housed, fed, and learn at the extraordinary Paul J Rizzo Conference Center in Chapel Hill, NC.

Course Site
The Nutrition and Public Health Course for Community Practitioners will be held at the Paul J. Rizzo Conference Center at Meadowmont, Chapel Hill, NC. The Rizzo Center is an executive training facility set in a 28-acre state-of-the-art complex. It is a self-contained learning community in a relaxed retreat environment. Previous course participants give the course location, facilities, sleeping accommodations, meals, and refreshments high rankings on end-of-course evaluations.

Course sessions includes:

Hot topics in nutrition science
Socio-ecologic and public health practice models for nutrition
Needs and assets assessment ‚Äö individual and community
Intra- and inter-personal level behavior change
Organization and community influences on diet, and strategies for change
Policies that affect dietary intake and potential to influence change
Program evaluation
Materials development for low-literacy, low-income, & culturally diverse audiences
Examples of exemplary nutrition programs

Nutrition Pre-course
For non-nutritionists and those who may benefit from a refresher, a 3 ¬Ω hour Nutrition Pre-Course is offered on Sunday afternoon, August 20, 2006 from 1:00 ‚Äì 4:30 pm. This is a basic nutrition overview that will highlight topics including: portion sizes, choosing foods for a healthy diet, and the balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. There is no additional cost for the Nutrition Pre-Course and attendance is optional. Please note on your application if you plan to attend.

Course Faculty
Course Director is Alice Ammerman, DrPH, RD, Director of the Center for Health Promotion & Disease Prevention, Associate Professor of Nutrition, Schools of Public Health and Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Course faculty includes national leaders in public health promotion of nutrition and includes (among others):

Salli Benedict, MPH, CHES
Project Coordinator, Hope Works for Women
UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
William H. Dietz, MD, PhD
Director, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Tom Keyserling, MD, MPH
Associate Professor
Department of Internal Medicine
UNC School of Medicine
Laura Linnan, Sc.D.
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Health Behavior and Health Education
UNC School of Public Health
Janet Ohene-Frempong, MS (invited)
Lecturer on Health Literacy
President, J.O. Frempong and Associates
Carmen Samuel-Hodge, PhD, MS, RD
Research Assistant Professor
UNC Department of Nutrition

Who Should Apply
The Nutrition Course is designed for professionals involved in learning, teaching, or practicing public health approaches to chronic disease prevention and risk factor reduction. It will be of particular interest to public health professionals in local, state, and federal level health agencies; administrators, managers, and educators from voluntary and health professional organizations; individuals affiliated with CDC‚Äôs National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; and others interested in chronic disease prevention. If you have questions regarding course content or if you are unsure if you should apply, please contact Avia Mainor at 919.843.6947 or email avia_mainor@unc.edu.

Candidate Application
Those interested in attending will apply and submit a one or two page statement, indicating basis of interest in the course. Candidates will be selected based on professional credentials, experience, current professional position, and potential to enhance public health practice.

Twenty-five candidates will be selected. Up to 12 slots will be allocated to personnel from state WISEWOMAN programs, a CDC national demonstration project. The WISEWOMAN project provides blood pressure and cholesterol screening and intervention programs to help women, aged 40-64 years, develop a healthier diet and increase physical activity.

Deadline
The deadline for completed applications is June 1, 2006. Persons applying by June 1 will be reviewed as a cohort and notified of application status no later than July 1. The application period will end with the June 1 deadline if all slots are filled. If some slots remain open after June 1, applications may be accepted until July 1, 2006. The selection committee may accept applications after June 1, on a case-by-case basis, until all slots are filled. If you are applying after June 1, please call Amy Sloane at 919.966.0355 or email amy_sloane@unc.edu to learn if applications are still being accepted.

Cost
The Nutrition Course fee is $1,200. These are set fees for all participants. The price includes registration, room accommodations, meals, gratuities, sales taxes, course materials, and on-site computer and printer usage.

ALL FEES MUST BE PAID PRIOR TO ATTENDING THE COURSE

For further information go to this link

2006 National Health Promotion Conference

September 12 - 14, 2006
Atlanta, Georgia

The 2006 National Health Promotion Conference is the first joint conference presented by CDC’s Coordinating Center for Health Promotion (CoCHP) and its constituent groups: the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD), and the Office of Genomics and Disease Prevention (OGDP). With a conference theme of Innovations in Health Promotion: New Avenues for Collaboration, the conference will provide an unprecedented opportunity to create new partnerships and strengthen existing ones to move forward with a national health promotion and wellness agenda. Visit www.cdc.gov/cochp for updates and more information.

Food Safety Education to be Focus of September 2006 Conference in Denver, CO

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and NSF International, a non-profit public health company, invite food safety education professionals to join them at a 3-day conference, Reaching At-Risk Audiences and Today’s Other Food Safety Challenges, in Denver, Colorado, September 27-29, 2006.The conference will provide an excellent opportunity for presenting and sharing projects through plenary, breakout, and poster sessions. Pre-conference workshops will be held on September 25 and 26; post-conference tours on September 29.Also sponsoring the conference: Food and Drug Administration; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; USDA‚Äôs Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; and NSF/WHO Collaborating Center for Food Safety.

The conference will be organized around five primary themes: