During the first few weeks of the Council’s 50th anniversary year, I have been reflecting on where we have been and where we would like to go as we begin a new era in our history.

In 1956, the mission of the first Council was to promote fitness for children as the President’s Council on Youth Fitness. Over the past 50 years, our mission has evolved to encompass all Americans as well as physical activity and sports. While it is important to encourage physical activity and fitness for Americans of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities, I believe that it is also important to remember our early roots and continue to stress the importance of physical activity and fitness for young people. As rates of childhood overweight and obesity continue to grow, it is essential to encourage our youth to find activities they enjoy beginning at an early age and to develop active habits to last a lifetime. Fifty years after the founding of the Council, our work is more important than ever. We know that work in the field of physical activity and fitness promotion and research needs to continue. Playing outdoors or building forts in the family room has been replaced by the opportunity to sit at the computer or in front of the television. What was once a short walk to school may be a long drive across town or a short drive in the car to a school that is just around the corner. We must promote physical activity for American youth and encourage all young people to find activities they love and will, subsequently, choose to do often.

We continue to put our health and fitness spotlight on special populations. On February 1, our vice-chair, Dr. Dot Richardson, testified on Capitol Hill before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on the Promotion and Advancement of Women in Sports. She talked about her experiences as a young girl struggling to find a sports team and the role of athletics in her life. We cannot overestimate the positive impact participation in sports and other activities can have on a young girl’s life, and I want to be sure that we stress this important topic in our future work.

As Dr. Doris Corbett’s article outlines in this issue of our E-newsletter, we remain particularly challenged by health disparities in our nation, including the lack of regular participation in physical activity among African American girls and women. While the health implications of physical inactivity are great among every population, there is reason to be particularly concerned about what this is doing to this specific group of females.

As always, we are fortunate to be working with a group of outstanding partners as we strive to activate Americans. We are utilizing the occasion of our 50th Anniversary to honor the work of our partners during our first fifty years and to reach out to new 50th Anniversary Partners to Get America Moving. We call on individuals, groups and organizations in both the public and private sectors to join us in urging America to get moving for health.

Let the good work continue!

Melissa Johnson