Physical Activity Update | Eat Smart, Move More…NC

Launch of Newly Designed MyEatSmartMoveMore.com Consumer Site
Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina’s newly redesigned consumer web site, www.MyEatSmartMoveMore.com is now available. The site is aimed at the general public and offers tips, strategies, resources and interactive tools to help people get on the right track to maintaining a healthy weight.

Some of the great new features that have been added to MyEatSmartMoveMore.com include a body mass index calculator, an “Ask the Expert” section, and a discussion board for visitors to chat with others across the state. In addition to these interactive tools, the site also includes a wealth of information and resources that visitors can use to help them eat smart, move more, and achieve a healthy weight.

The consumer site serves as a complement to our professional site, www.EatSmartMoveMoreNC.com, which will also be redesigned in the coming months. For more information, visit the new web site.

Eat Smart, Move More…NC Key Messages

As Eat Smart, Move More…NC continues to grow and evolve, so does the way that its various partner organizations speak about the movement and its programs, tools, and resources.

These key messages are provided as a reference to allow you to learn more about Eat Smart, Move More…NC. Additionally, they are great resources to help you speak about and respond to questions about Eat Smart, Move More from the media, community organizations, concerned citizens, and anyone else interested in learning more what is being done in North Carolina to address the issue of obesity and related chronic diseases.

The key messages are included at the end of these Updates.

Programs, Projects and Initiatives

Start!

On January 8th, the American Heart Association launched its newest movement calling on all Americans and their employers to create a culture of physical activity and health to live longer, heart-healthy lives through walking.

This physical activity movement is called “Start!” We want to get America walking! Start! walking program is the American Heart Association’s (AHA) national campaign that calls on all Americans to commit to fighting the major causes of heart disease and stroke in adults through a comprehensive walking and nutrition program. Start! also recognizes employers who champion the health of their employees and work to create a culture of physical activity and health in the workplace. There are several key elements to Start, including:

Ways for You to Take Action:

MyStart! Online: Use a free online tool to help individuals make positive
changes through walking and by improving their eating habits. It is an
excellent way to track physical activity and diet progress.
Start! Heart Walk: Sign up to walk in AHA’s reinvigorated Heart Walk that
Gives people the opportunity to walk while raising funds to fight our
nation’s No. 1 killer.
Sign up to receive a free wake-up-call from a famous celebrity.

Ways for Your Company to Take Action:

Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program: Recognizes employers that
Champion the health of their employees and work to create a culture of
physical activity in the workplace.
Start! Walking Program: Encourages companies to promote walking at
Work and recognize and reward employees who move from a sedentary
to a more active lifestyle.

For more information in taking a step towards living a longer, heart-healthy life and to sign up to receive a wake-up call from a celebrity please go to this site. You don’t have to walk alone, invite a friend to join you.

National Diabetes Education Program Resources

NDEP is greeting the New Year with new products and new partnerships promoting healthy food choices and increased physical activity. All of the NDEP video PSAs are there now plus 2 new ones promoting physical activity, Movimiento Por Su Vida (includes footage of an exercise break at a factory in Mexico and a new dance step) and Every Day is a New Beginning designed to appeal to African American audiences. Both are also available from NDEP as CD/DVD dual discs with 6 original songs on the CD side and the video on the DVD side and as VHS. Visit www.ndep.nih.gov to order. For more information go to this site.
(From CDC’s PA-list, January 10th, 2007)

Success Stories

Have a Success Story to Share?

North Carolina Success Stories showcase the achievements of people who are eating smart and moving more in the community, preschool, school, faith organizations, worksites, healthcare, at home and at the state level. We are always interested in how people are Eating Smart and Moving More. If you have a success story you would like to share, we would like to hear from you. Stories can be submitted by going the to the www.EatsmartMoveMorenc.com website, clicking on the “Success Stories” link and filling out the Success Stories Submission document. We look forward to receiving a story from you!

Featured Resources and Research

Request for Applications: Smart Growth Implementation Assistance

The Development, Community, and Environment Division in U.S. EPA’s Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation are responding to this need by issuing a request for applications for the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance program. Through this program, a team of multidisciplinary experts will provide free technical assistance to communities, regions, or states that want to develop in ways that meet environmental and other local or regional goals.

Communities, regions, and states around the country are interested in building stronger neighborhoods, protecting their environmental resources, enhancing public health, and planning for development, but they may lack the tools, resources, or information to achieve these goals. EPA can help applicants overcome these roadblocks by providing evaluation tools and expert analysis.
EPA is soliciting applications from states or communities that want help with either policy analysis or public participatory processes.

Selected communities will receive assistance in the form of a multi-day visit from a team of experts organized by EPA and other national partners to work with local leaders. Applications will be accepted until March 8, 2007.

For more information and application materials, please go to this site. (From Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, January 29th, 2007)

Preventive Medicine Call For Papers: Self-Transportation, Public Transportation, and Health

Preventive Medicine invites researchers to submit papers on the relation of self-transportation (e.g., walking, biking) and public transportation (e.g., buses, subways) to health for one or several themed issues on this topic. Papers describing community interventions aimed at enhancing self-transportation and/or usage of public transportation will be given priority. Energy use and obesity are rising in the United States: over-consumption of fossil energy in the transportation sector and deficits of bodily energy expenditure by the population. These two phenomena, apparently unrelated, have a similar dual solution: increased use of self- and public transportation.

Travel to, within, and from public stations induces rises in bodily energy expenditure from commuters in their normal daily life. It also reduces fossil-fuel consumption because public transportation is far more energy efficient. In addition, physical activity reduces the burden of obesity-related diseases and lowers health care costs. Thus, a small increase in human energy from greater use of public transportation may translate into substantial savings in fossil-fuel and health care costs.

Papers should be 2500 words or less, except if they describe intervention trials, in which case they can be up to 3500 words.

Deadlines are March 1, 2007 and June 1, 2007, for more information download this pdf
(From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News 1/18/07).

Land Use and Public Health Toolkit

Public Health Institute’s Public Health Law Program introduces Land Use and Health portal that includes toolkits, news and training on the topic. The new toolkits titled: General Plans and Zoning and Economic Development and Redevelopment are designed for health advocates and professionals who are interested in learning more about the connections between planning decisions and community health. These toolkits are designed to serve as learning and reference materials to guide and inform participation. Visit this site for more information. (CDC’s PA-list, January 19, 2007)

Safe Routes to School Email Alerts from National Center for Safe Routes to School

The National Center for Safe Routes to School has added an email alerts sign-up feature on its Web site. By signing up for the feature, subscribers will receive periodic e-mails from the National Center for Safe Routes to School, including SRTS Program Status Reports, news releases, general updates and Safe Routes Matters, the Center’s electronic newsletter.
To subscribe, please visit the Safe Routes signup page.
(From CDC’s PA-list, January 19, 2007)

Promoting Public Health Through Smart Growth Report

Smart Growth BC has prepared a report to explain how the built environment influences our transportation choices and health. “Promoting Public Health through Smart Growth” reviews the existing research for a range of transportation-related health impacts on seven public health outcomes: Physical Activity and Obesity, Air Quality, Traffic Safety, Noise, Water Quality, Mental Health, and Social Capital. To download the report, go to this site. (SCCOPE News & Updates 01/05/07) (From USC Prevention Research Center Notes 01/2007)

Smart Growth Illustrated

The US Environmental Protection Agency’s Smart Growth Illustrated provides visual examples of smart growth techniques as they have been used in different places. Although every example illustrates several smart growth principles, each was chosen to illustrate one specific principle. A narrative description and photographs are provided for each case study. To view the smart growth examples, go to this site. (From USC Prevention Research Center Notes 01/2007)

Neighborhood Density Presentations Available

The Urban Land Institute, the National Multi-Housing Council, and the Sierra Club have prepared PowerPoint presentations, titled “A Plan for Tomorrow: Creating Stronger and Healthier Communities Today,” that show how density can transform neighborhoods and provide research to allay the conventional fears about density. Presentations and customizable scripts for both urban and suburban audiences (planning officials, neighborhood groups, chambers of commerce, etc.) are available free of charge.

Go to this site to download the presentation and scripts. (From USC Prevention Research Center Notes 01/2007)

Establishment of Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee

January 22 is a very exciting day for anyone interested in physical activity and health. A Federal Register Notice was published on January 22 announcing the establishment of the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee and soliciting nominations for appointment to the Committee. The Department of Health and Human Services seeks nominees with expertise across a broad range of areas related to physical activity and health. The full text of the Federal Register Notice is available at this site and additional information related to the physical activity guidelines initiative can be found at this site.

The Department of Health and Human Services encourages interested individuals to read the full announcement in the Federal Register and consider submitting a nomination package. Self-nominations will be accepted. Details of required nomination package contents are in the Federal Register Notice. Nominations must be received by February 21, 2007.

Legislation

No updates at this time.

Grants

Tool Box for Education

Deadline for submitting an application is February 15, 2007

Through its Toolbox for Education program, Lowe’s will award grants of up to $5,000 to schools and parent groups for projects that increase parent involvement, build stronger community spirit, and create new school traditions.

Only the first 1,500 applications will be reviewed; once the application limit has been reached, the application system on the Toolbox for Education web site will be shut down. For more information and to access the application system, go to this site. (From Action for Healthy Kids Funding Alert)

Field Refurbishment Grant Offered by KaBOOM! and The Home Depot

Deadline to submit an application is February 28, 2007.

The Home Depot and KaBOOM! are offering a Field Refurbishment Grant opportunity to qualifying organizations in North America. This grant program supports community-based groups with a desire to refurbish fun and healthy community youth playing fields.

The program also empowers groups with the tools, knowledge and inspiration necessary to create great places to play for the children in their communities. Grants, valued at $5,000, will be awarded during two separate grant rounds in 2007.

Grant funds can be used toward the purchase of materials, equipment and supplies that will ensure the effective use and longevity of the field.
For more information go to this site.

Games or Health Competition

Deadline for Applications: March 30, 2007

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has announced a nationwide contest to promote the development of computer and video games that improve people’s health and help them get the care they need. The Games for Health Competition will award prizes totaling $30,000 to entrants who develop game concepts or prototypes aimed at improving aspects of health and healthcare.

Three prizes will be awarded — one for a working prototype and two for storyboard/design treatments. For more information go to this site.

Run for Good Program

Deadline for applications is March 30, 2007

Saucony, a subsidiary of Stride Rite, is accepting applications for its Run for Good Program. The purpose of this program is to support communities and nonprofit organizations that provide physical fitness programs for kids. Programs should emphasize increased participation in running. Seven grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded. For more information and to download the application brochure, go to this site.
(From Action for Healthy Kids Funding Alert)

Training and Professional Development

The Association for Community Health Improvement’s National Conference
March 7-9, 2007
New Orleans, Louisiana

The Association for Community Health Improvement (ACHI) is a professional association with members focused on health promotion, disease prevention, health care coverage, community benefit and healthy communities. Conference participants from hospitals, public health departments, community clinics, healthy community groups and health foundations will be in attendance, seeking shared solutions to their common health challenges.

The event will feature more than 35 sessions in four topic tracks,
Including:

Maximizing Access to Care
Innovating for Community-based Chronic Disease Prevention
Achieving Community Benefit Excellence
Leading Community Health Assessments with Impact

Learn more about this premier community health educational and networking opportunity by following this link.

2007 ASA-NCOA Joint Conference

March 7-10, 2007
Chicago, IL

Enhance your professional development! Join your colleagues in the field of aging at the 2007 Joint Conference of the American Society on Aging and the National Council on Aging. The conference takes place March 7-10 in Chicago, IL. More than 4,000 multidisciplinary professionals will gather to network and to discuss the emotional, social, economic physical and spiritual aspects of aging. Make sure you are among them!

The 2007 ASA-NCOA Joint Conference will address the theme “Let’s Rethink Aging.” Join your peers and explore new ways to meet the needs of older adults and reaffirm your commitment to work toward a better future for elders locally, nationally and globally. You will learn about cutting-edge programs and research, network with colleagues and prospective collaborators, and expand your knowledge in the field of aging. The conference covers more than 50 subject areas, including civic engagement, brain health, creative aging, healthcare, aging in place, health promotion and much more.

To request one or multiple copies of the ASA-NCOA Joint Conference announcement, please contact ASA’s customer service department at 800-537-9728, ext. 9675 or e-mail customerservice@asaging.org. Be sure to specify the amount desired and include your mailing address. To request it online
view session offerings and register, go to the NCOA-ASA Joint Conference website.

National Bike Summit

March 13-16, 2007
Washington, DC

The National Bike Summit will be held March 13-16 in Washington, DC. The summit is an opportunity for the bicycling community to communicate with top-level government leaders who have the power to dramatically improve bicycling in the United States.
For summit and registration information, go to this site (From USC Prevention Research Center Notes 01/2007)

2007 AAHPERD National Convention

March 13-17, 2007
Baltimore, MD

This conference, sponsored by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance features a comprehensive program including programming and events targeted to the distinct populations of the health and physical activity industry; world-renowned keynote speakers; a Job Fair and Placement Center and a multi-faceted Exposition Hall with demonstrations, products, and services. For more information go to this site.
(From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News 1/05/07)

ACSM’S Health and Fitness Summit & Exposition

March 21-24, 2007
Dallas, TX

The American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Summit seeks to bridge the gap existing between the science of sports medicine and practice for the fitness professional, broadly defined. The 2007 Summit will boast superior faculty, hand-chosen to address the most time, and cutting edge issues. For more information, go to this site. (From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News 1/05/07)

24th Annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Conference BRFSS: Promoting Healthier, Safer People

March 24-28, 2007

Decatur, Ga
The Behavioral Surveillance Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention invites you to participate in the 24th Annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Conference. Training will be conducted March 24 -25, 2007. The conference will be held March 26-28, 2007.

The purpose of the annual conference is to determine the content of the 2008 BRFSS Survey and update attendees regarding state-of-the-art behavioral risk factor monitoring, methodologies, and technological innovations.

This year’s conference will feature sessions on the importance and challenges of health surveillance at the state and federal level, BRFSS’s impact on mental health surveillance activities, recent BRFSS research activities on reaching underrepresented groups, scientific publishing of BRFSS data, and effective communication strategies for surveillance data.

The BRFSS Conference typically draws an audience from the entire United States, including U.S. Trust Territories. Attendees include public health professionals from federal, state, and local health agencies, as well as state BRFSS coordinators, field supervisory staff, epidemiologists and statisticians. The conference provides opportunities for networking among state BRFSS coordinators, data collection contractors and others interested in surveillance systems.

This year’s conference will be held at the Holiday Inn Decatur, located at 130 Clairemont Ave, Decatur Ga 30030. The conference room rate is $124 plus tax. For your convenience, hotel reservations can be made by calling 1-800-Holiday (1-800-465-4329).

Please identify yourself as attending the CDC-BRFSS Conference. The reservation cutoff date for the government rate is February 16, 2007.

The conference registration fee is $300. Participants who register after February 19, 2007, must pay a $35 late registration fee. Conference and training registration is now open.

For more information, please contact Julie Brown in the Behavioral Surveillance Branch at JBrown4@cdc.gov or 770-488-2546 or visit our website.

National Health and Livability Summit

April 17-19, 2007
Atlanta, GA

The National Recreation and Park Association invites local, state, and national officials and citizen advocates to join together to examine new management practices, and investigate the vital contributions park and recreation agencies make to increase the quality to life, health, and livability of the individuals they serve. Park and recreation professionals, citizen advocates, and local leaders are encouraged to take part in this national forum to address health and livability at the local, state, and national level.

Together, you will assist in launching nationally recommended policies for communities to foster healthy lifestyles and more livable communities. Visit this link for more information.
(From [Enewsletter] NCPPA News 1/05/07)

National Conference Promotes Healthy and Fit America Throughout the States

April 26-28, 2007
Buena Park, California

The National Association for Health and Fitness (NAHF) announced that its 30th Annual Conference “States Unite for a Healthy and Fit America!” will be held April 26-28, 2007 at the Knott’s Berry Farm Resort Hotel, Buena Park, California. The conference’s national presenting sponsor is General Mills Corporation.

This 3-day conference rate includes: 2 luncheons, a Thursday night reception, Friday night Gold Star Awards Dinner where Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jake Steinfeld (Body by Jake) and other great health and fitness leaders will be honored and California State University Fullerton’s Youth Event on Saturday, April 28. Please visit our newly updated website for conference details and the NEWLY LAUNCHED Online Registration. Get the early bird price of $195 now!
Please contact NAHF Executive Director Phil Haberstro 716-583-0521 or phaberstro@city-buffalo.org for additional questions or information on sponsorships, exhibiting or attending, or visit www.physicalfitness.org. (From Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, January 29th, 2007)

International Conference On Physical Activity And Obesity In Children:

June 24-27, 2007
Toronto, Canada

The International Conference on Physical Activity and Obesity in Children will be held June 24-27, 2007 in Toronto, Canada.

The conference aims to inform the development of a scientifically-based community strategy to reduce the incidence of childhood and youth obesity through increased sport and physical activity participation. More information about presenters, registration and abstract submission are available at this site. (From USC Prevention Research Center Notes 01/2007)

CDC/DASH Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), is pleased to announce that comprehensive Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT) Workshops are now available to be conducted in your state! Thirteen physical education experts from across the country participated in a training-of-trainers by the CDC and became equipped with the skills and materials to conduct regional-level and state-level PECAT Workshops. The purpose of the PECAT Workshops is to train school district and school-level physical education and physical activity staff in the implementation of the PECAT.

Workshops can be scheduled for any time between now and October 31st, 2007. Each PECAT Workshop will last for a minimum of 4 hours and a maximum of 8 hours. Workshops may be coordinated in conjunction with an already scheduled meeting/conference or independently.

CDC still has a limited number of paid workshops available, i.e., CDC will pay for a trainer to come to your site and his/her time to plan, travel, train, and provide follow-up support for the PECAT Workshop. Any additional workshop-related costs would be the responsibility of the site coordinator.
While CDC-paid workshops are limited, CDC would be happy to connect you with one of our expert trainers to conduct a PECAT Workshop if your site has funds to support them.

Act now to secure your PECAT Workshop! Please contact Anu Pejavara (APejavara@cdc.gov or 770-488-6214) to begin scheduling your PECAT Workshop. For more information on the PECAT, visit this site (From Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, January 29th, 2007)

APHA- Physical Activity Special Interest Group

Nov 3-7, 2007
Washington, DC
Abstracts are due February 7 - 9.

If you haven’t heard, there’s an effort to develop a Physical Activity Special Interest Group (PA SIG) within the American Public Health Association (APHA). I view this as a significant endeavor in forging the connection between science and practice. I strongly encourage you to consider submitting an abstract to this year’s APHA meeting in November in Washington, D.C.

We need a good showing to make our case in forming the PA SIG (and eventually, an independent PA Section). Specific calls for PA abstracts can be found within the Food and Nutrition, Gerontological Health, Health Education and Promotion, and School Health Sections. There has been a wonderful response from persons interested in reviewing PA abstracts. Now, it’s up to all of us to give them something to review! I will look forward to your “active” response to this opportunity, Steven P. Hooker, PhD, Director.

Go to this site for more information.
Submission deadlines range from Feb. 5-9.

The call for abstracts for the APHA meeting Nov 3-7, 2007 in Washington, DC on the overall theme of “Politics, Policy and Public Health “is open. Abstracts are due February 7 - 9. Full information for abstract submission is at this link (From Physical Activity One-Way Listserv, January 29th, 2007)

Eat Smart, Move More…North Carolina Key Messages

January 2007

WHAT IS IT?

Eat Smart, Move More…North Carolina is a statewide movement that encourages healthy eating and physical activity wherever people live, learn, earn, play and pray.

We use research-based, simple solutions to make healthy eating and physical activity the norm rather than the exception in North Carolina.

We encourage individuals to think differently about what they eat and how much they move, and to make choices that will help them feel good and live better.

We want communities, schools and businesses to make it easy for people to eat healthy food and be physically active.

WHY DO WE HAVE IT?

Physical activity and healthy eating benefit all North Carolinians by improving the quality of their lives and saving tax dollars.

Maintaining an active lifestyle and choosing healthy foods help North Carolinians feel good about themselves, and improves the quality of their lives.

Obesity and chronic disease cost our state more than $24 billion annually in medical care and lost productivity. For every man, woman and child in the state, that’s more than $2,800 each year, or almost $8.00 every single day.

People who eat smart, move more and maintain a healthy weight reduce their risk for serious health problems such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Make your community a place where you can eat smart and move more.

Eat Smart Move More reminds you to make better decisions in your life about healthy eating and physical activity.

You can also ask your community, school or business to make it easier for you to eat smart and move more.

Visit www.MyEatSmartMoveMore.com for information to help you learn how to Eat Smart and Move More wherever you live, learn, earn, play and pray.