Minutes from the October 19,
2004 PCPFS Council meeting.
MEETING SUMMARY Table of Contents
1.
Call to Order and Roll Call
1.1. Council members in
attendance
1.2. Council members
absent
1.3. Other attendees and presenters
2. Opening Comments
3.
Welcoming Remarks from the White House
4. Regina Schofield
5.
Executive Director’s
Report
6. Council Member
Updates
6.1. Paul Carrozza
6.2. Katherine Cosgrove
6.3. Denise Austin
6.4. Tedd Mitchell, MD
6.5. Dan Gable
6.6. Pamela Danberg
6.7. John Burke
6.8. Dorothy Richardson, MD
6.9. James N. Baird, Jr.,
MD
6.10. Lynn Swann
7. Communications Update
8. Programs
Update
9. HealthierFeds Challenge
10. Trooper
Challenge
11. President’s
Challenge Update
12. Science Board Update
13. OPHS
and Dietary Guidelines Review
14. Governor’s
Challenges and States Discussion
14.1 Region I
14.2 Region II
14.3 Region III
14.4 Region IV
14.5 Region V
14.6 Region VI
14.7 Region VII
14.8 Region VIII
14.9 Region IX
14.10 Region X
14.11 Possible
Governor’s Challenge
States
15. U.S. Surgeon General
15.1. 50
Schools in 50 States
15.2. Shaping America’s
Youth
15.3. Surgeon
General’s Report on Bone Health
16.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
17. I Can Do It, You
Can Do It! Update
18. Science Board Proposal: National
Youth Fitness Test
19. Mayor’s
Challenges and Councils
20. Action Plan for Remainder of
2004
21. Adjournment
Lynn Swann
Mr. Swann
welcomed and thanked the President’s
Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS) members
for their participation and requested roll call.
Ms. Wargo conducted the roll call.
1.1 Council
members in attendance
- Lynn
C. Swann, Chair
- Dr. Dorothy G. Richardson, Vice
Chair
- Denise Austin
- Dr. James N. Baird, Jr.
- John P.
Burke
- Paul R. Carrozza
- Katherine S. Cosgrove
- Pamela
M. Danberg
- Danny M. Gable
- Dr. Tedd L. Mitchell
1.2
Council members absent
- Amanda C. Cromwell
- Dr. Jaime A.
Davidson
- Nomar Garciaparra
- Marion L. Jones
- Ivette
M. Lirio
- Nancy Lopez
- Charles M. Moore
- Derek D. Parra
- Emmitt
Smith
1.3 Other
attendees and presenters
- Dr. Cristina Beato,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Health
- Dr. David
Beaver, George Mason University
- Dr. Richard Carmona,
US Surgeon General
- Dr. Don Franks
- Dr. Margaret
Giannini, Director, Office of Disability
- Jim Grossman,
Chair, Arizona Governor’s Council
on Physical Fitness
- Melissa Johnson, PCPFS Executive
Director
- Dr. Robert Karch, President’s
Council Science Board
- Laura Keehner, Office of Presidential
Personnel, White House
- Mary LoJacono, Fleishman
Hillard
- Dr. Michael McGinnis, Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation
- Janice Meer
- Regina Schofield, Director,
Intergovernmental Affairs Office and DHHS White
House Liaison
- Chris Spain
- Jane Wargo
- Michael Willett,
Director, President’s Challenge
Program
Lynn
Swann
Mr. Swann asked for minutes to be
approved. Dr. Mitchell motioned to approve the minutes.
Ms. Cosgrove seconded the motion and all voted in favor
of approving the minutes.
Mr. Swann commented that
PCPFS has done a solid job over the last two and
a half years and that he would like to focus on what
to do in the next three months. Rather than creating
new ideas, Mr. Swann would like to focus on existing
ideas and programs, including the President’s
Challenge and the Governor’s
Challenge.
Laura Keehner
Ms. Keehner
noted that President Bush has a strong belief in
the power of service and volunteering, and he is
grateful for the council’s time and commitment.
Ms. Johnson thanked Ms. Keehner for her diligence
and attention to the council.
Ms. Schofield acknowledged the contributions
and leadership of Mr. Swann and Ms. Johnson. As
the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, she
was asked by Ms. Johnson to assist PCPFS in reaching
out to the governors. She commented that PCPFS
members were the President’s ambassadors
and thanked them for their contributions.
Mr. Swann
added that when PCPFS first met, it did not want
to build a program that was just a façade.
It wanted to build a solid foundation that would
withstand a change in presidency. The President’s
Challenge is a key, fundamental cornerstone for
future PCPFS activities.
Melissa Johnson
Ms. Johnson began
by thanking PCPFS members and staff. She then discussed
the agenda. Dr. Beato and Dr. Carmona will give updates
on two new reports: Dietary Guidelines and the
Surgeon General’s
Report on Osteoporosis and Bone Health. Both reports
recommend regular physical activity.
Secretary
Thompson’s
Step Grants were recently awarded. In the first
year, 23 communities received grants. This year,
additional communities and the YMCA were awarded
grants. $44 million was appropriated for the grants
this year, and the President is requesting $125
million for next year. These grants build on the
HealthierUS initiative and are given to small communities
to combat obesity, asthma, and diabetes.
In September,
there was a HealthierUS Back to School event. Secretary
Thompson went to Philadelphia, the Surgeon General
went to Ohio, the Director of CDC went to Georgia,
and Secretary Paige and Secretary Veneman went
to different states.
The HealthierUS Fitness Festival
was held on June 16 to promote the physical activity
pillar of the initiative. There were 50 exhibiting
organizations and about 1,000 attendees. Eight
to ten dignitaries participated, including Secretary
Thompson, the Surgeon General, Secretary Paige,
and Mayor Anthony Williams. They hope to hold the
festival annually in May, National Physical Fitness
and Sports Month.
There will be a presentation today
on the Governor’s
Challenge. By the end of the day, they would like
to identify four or five states to introduce the
Challenge by the end of 2004.
There will also be a
presentation by Fleishman Hillard, the public relations
firm selected to promote the HealthierFeds Physical
Activity Challenge. This is the first government-wide
physical activity challenge, which was built on last
year’s DHHS
pilot program. To date there are 21,000 registrants
from more than 25 different departments.
The Recreation
MOU, a partnership of DHHS, the Department of Interior,
USDA, and the Army Corp of Engineers, attempts to
show the connection between physical activity and
public lands. On June 5, “Get Fit With Us” was
kicked off in Minnesota, and Ms. Johnson will present
in Austin, Texas this Friday on the same topic.
The
President’s Challenge Science Board has
changed its name to the President’s Council
Science Board. This board was formed to make recommendations
to PCPFS. Dr. Blair received the Science Honor Award
at the ACSM conference in June.
On the international
front, Ms. Johnson and Secretary Thompson met with
the King of Jordan in June, who is looking at PCPFS
as a model for Jordan. They will begin with the youth
population and the King is interested in distributing
awards (e.g., gold medallions) for the program. USAID
is also involved and the kickoff is scheduled for
next September. Chile is interested as well.
The Childhood
Obesity DVD, presented by Dr. John Whyte at the last
meeting, is being distributed through pediatrician
offices. It includes a piece on the President’s
Challenge, which also has its own DVD.
Ms. Johnson
then showed some of the Secretary’s
Healthier Campaign Small Steps television advertisements.
The ads showed love handles, a “butt,” a
double chin, and a belly, all of which were lost
during various activities, such as taking the stairs,
playing with kids, eating fruits and vegetables,
and walking on the beach. These ads are also available
in Spanish and are accompanied by radio and print
spots.
6.1 Paul
Carrozza
Mr.
Carrozza noted that Austin, Texas had a good year.
Susan Combs, Agricultural Commissioner, is focused
on improving the school lunch and physical activity
programs. The Governor’s Conference on Childhood
Obesity was recently held in Dallas, and Ms. Combs
is writing a report based on that conference.
There
is legislation in Texas to change physical activity
from an enrichment activity to a foundation. The
current legislation calls for 135 minutes of physical
education per week, but there is no accountability
because it is an enrichment project and lacks adequate
funding. A possible solution is to have the Texas
Health and Human Services take on more responsibility
for physical fitness in schools.
The first Texas
Roundup program was in April. The governor was the
spokesperson and there were 7,000 participants in
the 10K run, most of whom were state employees. In
addition, there were 22,000 general participants
in the program. Wendy’s
was a major sponsor, which promoted the program in
its restaurants.
6.2 Katherine
Cosgrove
Ms.
Cosgrove noted that she continues to go on her typical
visits and that the Spanish prescriptions have been
helpful in her engagements in the Kansas City area.
She has contacted the Kansas HHS, which is involved
in its own Governor’s Challenge, and will participate
in some of their activities. She also has a column
in a women’s magazine, where she promotes the
President’s Challenge.
6.3 Denise
Austin
Ms.
Austin commented that she has been promoting the
importance of exercise and physical fitness on talk
shows and on her show, which is in its 20 th season.
Her goal is to get everyone more physically fit.
She has just completed an exercise video, Fit Kids,
in Times Square, which will be available in January.
The video targets children aged seven through 13
and features hip hop and athletic sports moves, using
Janet Jackson’s
and Hillary Duff’s choreographer. Her two daughters
are in the video and helped select the music.
Mr.
Swann added that Fit Kids is an example of how they
need to be open-minded about understanding and motivating
today’s youth.
6.4 Tedd
Mitchell, MD
Dr. Mitchell noted that he has conducted
18 presentations in the Dallas area since May, in
which he promotes the President’s Challenge
and fitness in general. He also writes for a weekly
column in USA Weekend and co-wrote a book, Fit
to Lead,
on the importance of fitness in the business community.
In August, he met with the Governor of Arkansas,
who solved all of his numerous health problems with
lifestyle changes. He added that his boss, Dr. Kenneth
Cooper, has been doing a lot of work with Pepsico
and Frito Lay. As a result, they have totally reworked
how they produce and market their snack foods. They
now have three categories: fun foods, lower saturated
fat and sodium foods, and healthy choice foods (juice-oriented
and baked options). Finally, the President’s
Council Science Board had a phone conference to revisit
the entire President’s
Challenge test.
6.5 Dan Gable
Mr.
Gable commented that he was involved in a conference
call with the Minnesota Governor’s Office.
He noted that Minnesota and Iowa have concerns with
funding the Challenge, while Iowa’s governor
recently finished his first marathon and is interested
in the President’s Challenge. He has done several
speeches, incorporating fitness and PCPFS. He is
also associated with the National Wrestling Coaches
Association, which has a leadership and a making-weight
program. Lastly, he is involved with a research project
at the University of Iowa.
6.6 Pamela
Danberg
Ms.
Danberg noted that she ran the President’s
Challenge at another summer camp, in which 25 participants
were being tested one week and two weeks after the
program. There was improvement in almost all phases
in both tests. They have written a paper on this
experience and the kids will be tested again in six
months to see if they have changed their lifestyle.
The
I Can Do It, You Can Do It! kickoff was held in May,
with the Office of Disability. More than 50 associations
have signed on from the beginning and 11 pilot programs
have started. She wrote a proposal to her local park
and recreation facility to participate in a pilot
program to introduce physical fitness to kids with
disabilities. The proposal was accepted and the first
meeting was held in October.
6.7 John
Burke
Mr.
Burke commented that he would be working on next
year’s Wisconsin program, in conjunction with
the Governor’s Office. They hope to get more
businesses involved. He participated in conference
calls with the Minnesota Governor’s Office,
along with five other states. Everyone was enthusiastic
about the program, but no decisions were made.
He
added that Trek modified the program for bikes and
sent it to 2,000 Trek dealers across the country.
The program has been successful.
6.8 Dorothy
Richardson, MD
Dr.
Richardson noted that she has been on a speaking
tour. Her audiences have been the National Recreation
and Parks Association and other organizations that
promote fitness and sports. Many of these organizations
expressed an interest in working with PCPFS. She
has also talked to pharmaceutical corporations and
other businesses. She has been unable to contact
her regional director, but expects to do so soon.
She is working on getting healthcare professionals
to be more physically active through her sports health
and education campus. She also participated in a
satellite television program and spoke at the Olympics
in Athens.
6.9 James N. Baird,
Jr., MD
Dr.
Baird noted that the Governor’s Council
on Physical Fitness and Sports is focused on signing
up one million Ohio residents for the President’s
Challenge. They had a kiosk at the Ohio State Fair
where people could sign up for the Challenge. He
has spoken with five additional governors to enlist
them in the Challenge and sent a personal e-mail
to every state health officer. He was involved in
a 15-minute show on an Ohio news network focused
on obesity, physical exercise, and the President’s
Challenge. He has also presented at Ohio Bureau of
Worker’s Compensation
seminars and distributed brochures through the Ohio
Department of Administrative Services newsletter.
Lastly, he attended the School Health Nurses Conference
to promote the President’s Challenge.
6.10 Lynn
Swann
Mr.
Swann commented that he spoke at the Mayo Clinic,
which has a successful employee health program and
fitness center which documents its activities and
outcomes. He also presented at Union Pacific, a railroad
company in Omaha, Nebraska. It has consolidated its
St. Louis and Omaha offices into a new office complex
and is implementing several programs to promote healthier
employees. One of the programs aims to achieve a
zero smoking level by July 2005. It has a complete
fitness center, open 24 hours a day, seven day a
week, for employees and their families. The commissary
provides a wide range of foods, along with nutritional
information (e.g., calories, carbohydrates, sodium)
to accommodate individual diets. The snack foods
have been moved from the point of purchase areas
and been replaced with fruits and vegetables. As
a result, the commissary has doubled its number of
customers.
He also testified to the Senate Subcommittee
on Childhood Obesity. The solutions to obesity revolve
around self-control, personal responsibility, and
common sense. Children need to learn how to make
better decisions on their own. One senator suggested
that kids between 8 and 11 were too young to make
those types of decisions. Mr. Swann commented to
that senator that his 8-year-old son makes these
decisions at school lunch every day.
Ms. Johnson added
that Mr. Swann was the keynote speaker at the Time/ABC
Obesity Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Janice
Meer
Ms. Meer provided a global perspective
on the speaking engagements. PCPFS has become the chief
source for the national media for physical activity
and childhood obesity experts. For example, Ms. Johnson
has served as a physical activity expert for USA
Today and the Washington Post, and participated in
live web chats for both publications. Additionally,
Mr. Swann conducted a live web chat at the President’s
Challenge launch. There are still inquiries about
his chat, and the web has become an important and
dynamic place for the council’s message. Lastly,
Ms. Johnson was recently interviewed by Parade Magazine.
Regarding
presentations, Ms. Johnson and Mr. Swann are frequently
asked to represent the Secretary and the Surgeon
General at international meetings. For example, Mr.
Swann went to South Africa on behalf of HHS and to
Geneva with the Secretary, and Ms. Johnson is going
to Chile to represent the Surgeon General. As a result,
the prestige and professional respect of the council
has grown.
This year, the presentation CD will
contain a set of slides that are to be used to create
customized presentations. The set includes slides for
children, seniors, aquatic activities, etc.
Concerning
publications, Mr. Carrozza’s mother
has been distributing Kids in Action at daycare centers
in California. Kids in Action targets children from
birth to age five. This audience is ready for a physical
activity message, but is not currently targeted by
the Challenge. Ms. Meer has worked with Dr. Baird’s
staff and the Virginia Department of Health to put
together a Kids in Action packet for daycare centers
in Virginia, which has also been adopted by the state
of Washington. Kellogg’s, who produced the
publication, provided 30 CDs that contain printer-ready
materials. Additionally, she is working with the
Science Board to update the publications with the
latest information.
Finally, www.fitness.gov is ready
and now complies with the Americans with Disabilities
Act.
Chris
Spain
Ms. Spain began by commenting that
the public/private partnerships are growing exponentially.
Every participating private company has asked to renew
its agreements for additional years. Ms. Spain would
like to focus on the public sector and how HealthierUS
has enhanced different programs throughout the departments.
First
is the National School Lunch Week, held October 10–16,
in which USDA launched the HealthierUS Challenge
Schools program across the United States. These schools
will now focus on nutrition and physical activity.
There are stringent criteria that the schools must
meet. They have to be a team nutrition school, incorporate
physical activity, and provide healthy lunches. This
year, they are starting with elementary schools and
will move to middle and senior schools next year.
The
second initiative is the You Can program, which focuses
on seniors. The program is a multi-organization partnership,
including PCPFS, NIH, and the Administration on Aging
to mobilize communities and increase physical fitness
among seniors. There are 971 participating organizations,
and more information is available on www.aoa.gov.
The
third program is the White House Conference on Aging,
scheduled for October 23–26, 2005.
This will be a policy-making conference of delegates
from all over the country. For the first time, they
will have a website (www.whcoa.gov) to provide continuous
updates on the progress towards the conference.
There
is another aging initiative called Blueprint for
Action for Seniors. This program involves policy
and environmental issues to look at developing green
trails and parks for seniors. There will be awards
for organizations and communities that increase senior
participation in physical activity.
The last program
is through the Snowsports Industries of America.
There will be six schools for the pilot program,
which will incorporate the President’s
Challenge with winter sports. Additionally, the second
council clinic will be held on January 8 in Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania, to give the public an opportunity to
try different winter gear and learn about nutrition.
Ms.
Johnson added that there is a criteria list for the
General Mills schools in the handouts. General Mills
is offering to subsidize the President’s
Challenge awards for low SES (social economic status)
schools. General Mills has already sponsored over
20 thousand kids in Minnesota and now wishes to go
national.
Ms. Spain asked the council members
to first work with their regional directors before
contacting General Mills.
Mary
LoJacono
Ms. LoJacono is a Senior Vice President
with Fleishman Hillard, which helped to implement the
HealthierFeds Physical Activity Challenge. The Challenge
is a government-wide program to promote physical
activity and active lifestyles among federal employees.
It is a Cabinet-level supported initiative, and agency
heads have been asked to participate and send out
e-mails encouraging participation to demonstrate
the high level of support to employees. The Challenge
was piloted within DHHS in 2003. Testing and focus
groups were held to fine-tune the program before
its official launch. The program is intended for
all federal employees—those who have never
been active before, as well as triathletes.
The HealthierFeds
Challenge began on October 4 and the registration
deadline was October 29. The end date for the program
is December 10. In the HealthierFeds Challenge, participants
self-register through the HealthierFeds.gov web portal.
They choose from a number of activities, including
aerobics, archery, gardening, and home repair. The
goal is to be active for 30 minutes a day, at least
5 days a week, for 6 weeks, and they track their
activity online.
In developing the look and feel
of the campaign, there were three focus groups with
a total of 18 participants to explore current attitudes
toward and barriers to becoming more active, and
to test the design and theme concepts. Key findings
from the focus groups included flexibility and support
of management. Because of the diverse nature of the
federal workforce, a program must have variety and
flexibility, as well as appeal to employees at all
fitness levels in a variety of settings. It also
has to demonstrate management support, down to the
supervisor level.
Secretary Thompson opened the morning
with a challenge to all employees and shared stories
from his personal experiences. He was joined by OPM
Director Kay Coles James, who talked about the effects
of being unhealthy and unfit. During her speech,
she challenged Secretary Thompson to a battle between
OPM and DHHS for the most participation. Then Ms.
Johnson provided an overview of the program. She
introduced Mr. Swann, who motivated the crowd and
brought the challenge down to realistic goals.
They
are using the President’s
Challenge website to register and track activity,
and participants are being asked to complete a survey.
To date, there are 20,719 registered participants.
The highest participation rates came from the Office
of Personnel Management (13.69%), the Farm Credit
Administration (13.59%), and the National Science
Foundation (13.13%). The target goal was 40,000 participants
from a base of one million employees.
Regarding next
steps, they will continue promoting the Challenge
via e-mails to points of contact (POCs), a weekly
newsletters, and flyers. There will be a debriefing
with the POCs in December.
There has been enthusiastic
response to the problem, including:
Please don't
stop this program after November 26. It is the best
incentive I've ever had to keep fit. I keep trying
to do more to keep above the 50th percentile for
my age, program, group, state, etc....
-National Weather Service Employee
Just wanted to
say this is a terrific idea. I hope it will be continued
well past six weeks.
-USDA Employee
[This program] is so positive, supportive,
and proactive. My coworkers and I are really enjoying
the program.
-IRS Employee
After Dec. 10, they will tally the
results, recognize the most active agency, and provide
all participants with a certificate. The final week
focuses on having participants continue their activity
level and making it a part of their regular routine.
When the Challenge ends, there will be another voluntary
survey of participants to assess any change in activity
level and get program feedback. Finally, there will
be follow-up surveys six and twelve months after
the Challenge to determine the extent to which employees
have maintained any gains in their levels of physical
activity.
Ms. Johnson added that the program
was a partnership with OPM and thanked Jane Wargo and
Wilma Peterman, co-project officers, for their contributions.
Dr.
David Beaver
Dr. Beaver is from George Mason University
and the National Center for Public Safety Fitness,
which has developed the FireFit and the LawFit
programs for firefighters and police officers.
At the national level, they have developed the Trooper
Challenge. Held on October 1 and 2, 2004, the challenge
tested state troopers from across the country.
The competition included six fitness tests and a 200-yard
pursuit of a suspect. The challenge is in its third
year and may be extended to include police and
troopers from the armed services. The website for the
challenge is www.lawfit.gmu.edu.
Michael Willett
Mr. Willett
is the Director of the President’s
Challenge program and an Associate Chair for
the Department of Kinesiology at Indiana University.
He has been involved with the President’s
Challenge for 17 years. For the 2003–04
academic year, the program distributed 2.5 million
items (e.g., emblems, certificates, t-shirts,
ribbons, medals), which was a 22% increase over
the previous year. The program’s website
went live in July ’03. There are 158,724
registered participants that are using the website
(95,411 Active Lifestyle; 52,679 Presidential
Champions; 10,634 Advanced Performance).
The school
recognition programs include the State Champions,
the Active Lifestyle Model School, and the Demonstration
Centers. The State Champions program had 116
winners and distributed approximately 12,000
awards. The Active Lifestyle Model School is
based on results from the Active Lifestyle program.
In this program, at least 35% must earn the Presidential
Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) two or more times.
The Demonstration Centers program has a representative
or coordinator in every state and includes schools
that clearly emphasize physical activity and
fitness, which are listed on the website.
The
President’s Challenge DVD was produced
in May 2004 and was funded by the Amateur Athletic
Union and the Challenge. Of the 85K copies produced,
50K will be included in the 2004–2005 mailing.
The DVD is divided into four categories: school,
community, office, and home. There has been positive
feedback on the DVD from conference exhibiters
and participants.
Mr. Willett noted that the website
has had an impact with schools, averaging 250
students at each participating school. The work
with corporations, other government agencies,
and nonprofit organizations has created a completely
new arena for the Challenge. Wisconsin is the
number one state for usage and points earned,
and has shown how the Challenge can be adapted
to and marketed at the state level. However,
there needs to be more done in the professional
ranks and in higher education.
Mr. Willett added
that the program has been consistently growing
over the last seven years. Registration tends
to slow down before and peak after a presidential
election.
Dr. Richardson commented that they
might want to consider the need for personalized
programs. The Challenge might collaborate with
an association, exercise specialist, or exercise
physiologist to set up programs for Challenge
graduates.
Mr. Willett responded that the website
provides different levels of achievement. For
example, Active Lifestyle graduates can move
to the Champions program. For personalized programs,
the Challenge website can link to partner sites
that offer such programs.
Ms. Spain noted that,
as the program continues to be adopted by more
organizations, it could potentially lose its
identity if the Presidential Certificate is not
required.
Mr. Burke asked how the website
was doing in schools.
Mr. Willett responded that
the website was doing well and that the 7,000
registered schools are taking advantage of the
Fitness File tool.
Dr.
Don Franks
The members of the Science Board
(SB) are:
- Doris Corbett, Ph.D., Howard University
- Charles
Corbin, Ph.D., Arizona State University
- Ed Howley,
Ph.D., University of Tennessee
- Robert Karch, Ed.D.,
American University
- Amelia Lee, Ph.D., Louisiana
State University
- Tedd Mitchell, M.D., PCPFS
- James
Morrow, Ph.D., North Texas State
- Robert Pangrazi,
Ph.D., Arizona State University
- Russell Pate,
Ph.D., University of South Carolina
- Margaret Safrit,
Ph.D., American University
- Deborah Young, Ph.D.,
University of Maryland
PCPFS advises on and promotes
physical activity. The staff develops and implements
the programs and projects. SB reviews the scientific
basis for the council’s
activities.
SB held it first meeting in December
2003 to develop its strategic plan. It determined
that it could help the council with clinics,
an honor award, partnerships, planning, presentations,
the President’s
Challenge, programs, publications, the Research
Digest, and research gaps. The Research Digest
has been highlighted in the Journal
of Physical Activity and Health and the Journal
of Teaching Elementary Physical Education. Regarding
other publications, SB is combining the Fitness
Fundamentals and Weight Control flyers into a
single pamphlet, which will be published in January
2005. Additionally, SB’s
Subcommittee on Presentations is currently reviewing
the slide bank.
Regarding partnerships, an agreement
with the American College of Sports Medicine
(ACSM) is currently in discussion. The formal
agreement will generate more visibility for both
groups and give PCPFS a presence at ACSM conferences.
There are also discussions with Fitnessgram,
AAHPERD, and Human Kinetics. In terms of clinics
and programs, SB members are available as needed.
For the President’s
Challenge, SB members reviewed the program and
its original website. For the Honor Award, SB
chose Steve Blair for 2004; the 2005 nominations
are now being accepted.
Regarding planning, the
SB chair is Dr. Chuck Corbin and the chair-elect
is Dr. Jim Morrow. There will be quarterly conference
calls and an annual meeting. Starting in 2006,
two members will be rotated off SB and replaced
by two new members.
Dr. Cristina
Beato
Dr. Beato thanked PCPFS members for
raising the national attention of the President’s
Challenge and the HealthierUS initiative. To
get Americans to think about health in a comprehensive
way is a complex process and requires a multiple-prong
approach.
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines will
be released in January ‘05.
For this year, the Dietary Guidelines Committee
(DGC) started from scratch and looked at the
guidelines in terms of biochemistry and the basic
law of dynamics (energy in must equal energy
out). Based on this framework of science and
biochemistry, DGC looked at fats, carbohydrates,
proteins, fluid, and salt.
The first assignment
was to examine the thermodynamics of energy balance
in the nation’s population
that is two-thirds overweight. To do this, DGC
established the first science subcommittee and
submitted its report of nine recommendations
on August 23. USDA and DHHS are now working on
this report to create a policy document, which
becomes the basis for food guidance systems,
nutrition programs, and school lunch programs.
Recommendations
2 and 3 deal with energy, calories, and physical
activity. The physical activity component addresses
the “energy out” part
of the equation. In the last 30 years, Americans
have been gaining weight. Much of this has to
do with calorie consumption, but the majority
of it results from less physical activity, especially
among kids. Approximately 15% of American children
are overweight or obese; 6–7%
of those have type 2 diabetes. The Dietary Guidelines
will lead to some new FDA labeling, including
better serving size labels. The Guidelines will
also include, for the first time, an examination
of ethnic and racial minorities, including the
effects of sodium intake on African Americans.
Mr.
Burke asked if there was an examination of putting
calories and fat grams on restaurant menus.
Dr.
Beato commented that the National Restaurant
Association is working with its member restaurants
to implement healthier menus. For example, McDonald’s
will stop super-sizing next year, various restaurants
now have healthy choice menus, and soft drinks
are beginning to contain less sugars.
Ms. Austin
asked if there was going to be a food pyramid.
Dr.
Beato responded that a food pyramid is still
being discussed. There are focus groups being
held to see how to best translate the information
for the public. They are also looking at how
to incorporate technology as a tool for the Guidelines.
Mr.
Swann added that many Americans do not know how many
calories they consume or how many calories physical
activity burns. It is important to provide Americans
with specific information on the relationship between
physical activity and calories.
Mr. Swann
noted that there are 10 regional directors, which
act as PCPFS conduits for reaching governors
throughout the country.
14.1 Region
I
Brian
Cresta, Regional Director
Mr. Cresta noted that
Vermont and New Hampshire are possibly ready
for a Governor’s
Challenge. Governor Douglas of Vermont has been
working with youth on physical activity and fitness,
and had a large kickoff last year in conjunction
with the Surgeon General. Governor Benson of
New Hampshire has been working with youth and
seniors, including a recent Walk for Obesity
program.
14.2 Region II
Deborah
Konopko, Regional Director
Ms. Konopko commented
that the New York Governor Pataki’s
office has received the cost-benefit information
and are receptive towards a Governor’s
Challenge. Dr. Johnny Rullán, Secretary
of Health for Puerto Rico, is also interested
in the Challenge, as is the Virgin Islands. New
Jersey is on hold at this moment, and New York
is currently vetting the Challenge.
14.3 Region
III
Bob
Zimmerman, Regional Director
Mr. Zimmerman noted
that Maryland and Pennsylvania are in the process
of restructuring their councils or replacing
and filling council positions. Pennsylvania is
not ready, but interested, and Maryland is getting
ready. Delaware Lt. Governor Carney does a lot
of work on fitness, especially with seniors.
However, none of the states has committed to
a specific event or rollout, but many are working
on various programs. For example, Pennsylvania
is working on a safe school walking routes program,
and Virginia has a major fitness event.
14.4 Region
IV
Constantinos
Miskis, Regional Director
Mr. Miskis commented
that Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama
are receptive to the Challenge. The states in
this region that are part of the Stroke Belt
are also trying to link the Challenge to their
stroke efforts.
14.5 Region
V
Suzanne
Krohn, Regional Director
Ms. Johnson noted that
there was a conference call in July with representatives
from the Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan Governor’s
Offices. In August, the Ohio Governor’s
Challenge was approved. There was also a call
with Minnesota, which is interested in the Challenge.
Ms.
Krohn noted that they have contacted all six
regional states about replicating the website.
They have been working on the cost information
and providing templates for the websites. They
also discussed the awards logistic and website
maintenance issues. They are also working on
reinvigorating the councils in Illinois and Indiana.
Ms.
Johnson added that Minnesota was intrigued by the many
implementation options of the Challenge. This included
the low-cost option of linking the Governor’s
Challenge website to the President’s Challenge
website.
14.6 Region
VI
Linda
Penn, Regional Director
Dr. Mitchell noted that
Arkansas has started a state program called the
Healthy Arkansas Initiative. He added that New
Mexico, Louisiana, and Oklahoma are still in
the works.
Ms. Penn noted that there have been
some scheduling difficulties, but that they are
still working with Governor Perry’s
Office. She added that New Mexico and Oklahoma
are experiencing some reorganizing within the
state government, which has prevented further
communication.
14.7 Region
VII
Fred
Schuster, Regional Director
Mr. Schuster commented
that they have contacted three ( Missouri, Kansas,
and Nebraska) of the four governors, each of
whom has an interest in the Challenge.
14.8 Region
VIII
Joe
Nunez, Regional Director
Mr. Nunez noted that
he has exchanged emails and phone calls with
the six Governor’s
Offices. Five of the offices are ready to participate
in a conference call. The sixth, South Dakota,
has not been confirmed because it does not have
a state council. He has asked for the name of
a representative for the conference call.
Ms.
Johnson added that a state council is not necessary
to implement the Challenge.
14.9 Region
IX
Calise
Munoz, Regional Director
Ms. Munoz commented that
Hawaii was most likely to adopt the Challenge.
However, California has not adopted the Challenge
yet, but will launch its new council in January
2005. She sent her regional health administrator
staff to the Pacific Island Health Officers Association
(PIHOA) meeting, where he spoke about the Challenge.
PIHOA was excited by the Challenge. She added
that Nevada might need more encouragement than
the other states.
Ms. Johnson added that Arizona
would be starting a state prevention plan, which
may have a link to the Challenge.
14.10 Region
X
Beverly
Clarno, Regional Director
Ms. Clarno noted that
Idaho might link its IPAN program to the Challenge.
They are still working on Alaska and Oregon,
which has a new Office of Health Policy.
Next
steps for each region:
Regions
I & II: Ms. Johnson and Mr. Moore will
have a phone call to discuss tactics for follow-up
with VT, NH, and NY
Region III: Ms. Austin will
continue to help further VA’s efforts.
Mr. Swann will talk to Dwight White in the next
2 weeks. PA will be more likely to move forward
on any work after the election.
Region IV: Dr.
Richardson is meeting with Mr. Miskis on Friday.
Region
V: Mr. Burke will follow-up with Ms. Krohn. Collectively,
Dr. Baird and Mr. Burke will focus on efforts
in Minnesota and in Region VIII (IL and IN)
Region
VI: Dr. Mitchell will contact Governor Huckabee’s
office and help further efforts in Region IX
(OK).
Region VII: Mr. Gable will talk to
Mr. Schuster about furthering progress in IA.
14.11 Possible Governor's Challenge
States
Mr. Johnson moved the discussion
to those states that might adopt the Governor’s
Challenge in the upcoming months. These states
include: Vermont; New Hampshire; New York;
Virginia; Maryland; Florida; Georgia; Ohio;
Wisconsin; Minnesota; Illinois; Indiana; Oklahoma;
New Mexico; Kansas; Iowa; Missouri; Nebraska;
Colorado; Hawaii; and Idaho.
Mr. Swann added
that PCPFS should focus on those states that
are ready to adopt the Challenge. One way to
do this is to share information about the states
that have already initiated the program. This
includes information on the low cost of the
program, potential corporate and local company
sponsors, and the relationship between the
state program and the federal program. The
key is to make implementing the Challenge as
easy as possible for the states.
Dr. Baird
added that it is helpful to enlist the help
of state health officers, which are generally
cabinet-level positions and are looking at
obesity issues.
Dr.
Richard Carmona
Dr. Carmona thanked PCPFS members
for their work and commitment.
15.1. 50
Schools in 50 States
Dr.
Carmona noted that in the 50 Schools in 50 States
program, he visits one school in each state.
Generally, the schools are in underserved communities
with significant problems with struggling students.
(He commented that he was one of these struggling
kids.) During the visits, they discuss health,
fitness, healthy lifestyles, and the President’s
Challenge. Last year he visited a predominantly
Latino Boys and Girls Club in California with
Ms. Johnson and Nomar Garciaparra. He has been
to 20 states and tries to fit the schools into
his travel schedule. He welcomes Mr. Swann
and the other PCPFS members to participate
in this program.
15.2. Shaping America ’s
Youth
Shaping America’s Youth program is
a partnership with many organizations, including
Johnson and Johnson, Nike, Campbell’s Soup,
and the American Academy of Pediatrics. It is
a program looking at how to keep youth active
and physically fit. The program uses the President’s
Challenge website and works to recruit more youth
into the Challenge. The first Shaping America’s
Youth town hall meeting will be in Memphis in
March.
15.3. Surgeon
General’s Report
on Bone Health
The first Surgeon General’s
report on osteoporosis and bone health was
recently released. This report dissuades the
assumption that osteoporosis is a disease of
postmenopausal women. Though this was accepted
in the past, science has proven that everyone
can stay active for a lifetime and avoid osteoporosis.
For example, there were 95-year-old sprinters
at a recent Senior Olympics.
Michael
McGinnis, MD
Dr. McGinnis noted that the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation, based in Princeton,
New Jersey, is the fourth largest foundation
and the largest health foundation in the country.
It has a budget of $8 to $9 billion and gives
$400 to $500 million a year. Half of the foundation
focuses on healthcare; the other half focuses
on health. Founded in 1972, the foundation
initially focused on healthcare activities,
such as medical care for underserved populations.
Subsequently, the foundation trustees decided
five years ago to move beyond these clinics
and voted to devote half of the foundation’s
resources to the broader health arena, such as
the physical environment, social circumstances,
behavior, and genetics. Dr. McGinnis was brought
to the foundation to lead this new initiative.
The
health activities include work in human capital
development, including a clinical scholars
program that trains doctors in health policy.
There are also programs for nurses, community
leaders, and others from a variety of disciplines.
The foundation also includes programs targeted
at vulnerable populations for both health and
healthcare activities. Approximately two-thirds
of the distributed funds go to targeted initiatives.
In health, these initiatives include tobacco,
alcohol and drugs, public health, and childhood
obesity.
Five years ago, the foundation started
an initiative focused on physical activity.
At that time, there were not many non-government
or government resources to stimulate physical
activity. The initiative focused on changing
the environment to address the systematic engineering
of physical activity out of the environment—the
way communities are structured, the way roads
are built, and the ways buildings are designed.
This engineering has effectively forced people
into elevators and cars and away from parks.
The
foundation has invested over $60 million to reengineer
activity back into the environment. The initiative
includes the Active Living by Design program,
which is a series of grants to communities for
innovative redesign projects (e.g., changing
building codes and building walking trails).
There is an Active Living Research program, which
provides small grants ($10K to $200K) for innovative
research efforts in assessing the effectiveness
of and establishing targeted metrics for the
redesign of communities and other physical activity
programs.
There is a similar program called
the Substance Abuse Policy Research program. This
program provides relatively small grants to researchers
to develop innovative approaches to reducing
substance abuse. Through this program, they discovered
that the demand for tobacco among youths was
elastic with respect to price (i.e., as prices
go up, youth consumption goes down). This led
to the current wave of tobacco taxes across the
country.
There is also an Active Living Network,
which is a group of individuals from around the
country who represent organizations that are
not traditionally interested in health (e.g.,
architects and community planners). In addition,
there is the Active Living Resource Center that
provides information about these programs.
The
foundation is now turning its attention to childhood
obesity, which is the highest priority of the
foundation’s
president and CEO. The total investment in childhood
obesity is approximately $100 million. The same
amount will be invested for the next six years,
with plans to grow beyond that amount. The childhood
obesity team members will be providing more information
on this program in a future PCPFS meeting.
Dr.
McGinnis added that Robert Wood Johnson was the
son of the founder of Johnson and Johnson Healthcare
Products. He died in 1968 and left $1 billion
in Johnson and Johnson stock to create this foundation.
The foundation has no formal connection with
the company, although 30 to 40 percent of the
board members are former Johnson and Johnson
executives, and the chairman of the board is
the former president of Johnson and Johnson.
Margaret
Giannini, MD
Dr. Giannini noted that I Can Do
It, You Can Do It! is a national mentor-mentee
program for persons with disabilities. The awards
system is through PCPFS, which is representative
of the collaboration within the program between
the government and private sectors. There are
80 organizations that want to join this program,
however the initial launch will involve just
ten organizations. This partnership provides
most of the volunteers, which allows the program
to exist without a large amount of money. As
it grows and begins to include more organizations,
there will need to be a central body to oversee
the program.
All of the program forms have been
standardized and provide specific guidelines,
such as medical clearance, criminal clearances,
and program logistics and instructions. However,
volunteers are free to customize the guidelines
to fit their individual needs.
The program rollout
with Secretary Thompson was on May 26. The
rollout included demonstrations of children
with disabilities using adaptive equipment
to perform a variety of activities, such as
climbing a wall, playing golf, and bowling.
The goal of the program is to change the behavior
of these individuals and make physical activity
a routine part of their lives.
Don
Franks, Ph.D.
Dr. Franks suggested that one
national youth fitness test be created. Currently,
the President’s
Challenge has two tests that are conducted
in 30,000 schools, and Fitnessgram has its
own test and standards, which are used in approximately
18,000 schools. Additionally, many states have
their own tests.
Pros and cons of normative
data and criterion based data were discussed.
After
a lengthy discussion, Mr. Swann concluded that
PCPFS recommends that the staff move forward
and investigate the process and possibilities
of creating a single fitness test.
Additional:
Mr. Swann added that several government departments
and branches of the military have a medallion
program to recognize people for service. A
similar medallion has been created for PCPFS.
The medallions will be numbered and distributed
to each member of the council, who will give
them to various governors and others who have
supported the council. The first medallion
will go to the President of the United States.
Coins will also be given to the Vice President,
First Lady, Secretary Thompson, the U.S. Surgeon
General, and other HHS officials.
Paul Carrozza
Mr. Carrozza
commented that there are several possible problems
with creating a program at the state level, including
the limited availability of the governor and
the high degree of partisanship at that level.
As a result, they have started two mayor’s
councils, one in Austin and the other in Round
Rock.
The Austin council has had its first
meeting and will officially launch on November 5. The
meeting attendees included the physical education
coordinator for the Austin school district, a
faith-based leader, a hospital leader, three
doctors, the media, a neighborhood association,
a health club leader, corporate leaders, organized
sports, and representatives from Healthier Austin.
On
November 5, they will launch the A Mile a Day
program in Austin, where every Austinite is asked
to move a mile a day. There are a million people
in the Austin area, and the goal is to move a
million miles on the first day. The website (www.austininmotion.org)
is up, which allows participants to track their
miles.
A major focus of the council is
the science of change model, which involves doctors
and an assessment. At the launch, council members will
be responsible for bringing 100 people to five
locations in Austin for the 20-minute Walk with
Your Mayor event. The local media is helping
to promote this event. This will also include
an evening walk where participants will be carrying
flashlights and candles for an aerial photograph.
Once the participants are registered, they will begin working on the science of change. They
will assess their current fitness level to determine
next steps as part of a two-year plan.
Ms. Johnson
added that participants in the Mayor’s
Challenge could automatically be a part of the
Governor’s
Challenge and eventually the President’s
Challenge.
Mr. Carrozza noted that localized
efforts are more effective, though they have
limited resources to build the tools. However,
localized efforts would be better at generating
interest and collecting data.
Mr. Burke asked
if the President’s Challenge,
the Governor’s Challenge, and the Mayor’s
Challenge were all the same product.
Mr. Carrozza
responded that he is not sure, but that the Mayor’s
Challenge would benefit from the state and national
tools, while the state and national programs
would benefit from the localized efforts of the
Mayor’s Challenge.
Mr. Burke noted that
the Governor’s Challenge
uses the President’s Challenge, but with
a different homepage. The data from each challenge
is stored in the same database. This process
could also be extended to the city level.
Mr.
Carrozza added the current city programs are
different from the Governor’s Challenge.
Each city will want a unique program and the
challenge is to figure out a way to connect the
three levels. At this point, A Mile a Day participants
are not registering for the President’s
Challenge.
Ms. Johnson noted that the President’s
Challenge website can accommodate group registration
and participation. For example, the city of Austin
could participate as a group.
Mr. Swann commented
that there are ways to measure the mile walk
that could be used on the President’ Challenge
website. The idea of working at the local level
is good, but it would need to feed into a single
website. If there is a different website, that
website would compete with the state and national
program.
Mr. Carrozza responded that he would
also like a single system. However, mayors can
generate more interest than a governor can. He
added that he needs PCPFS’s
approval to distribute the President’s
Challenge through the city programs.
Ms. Spain
added that the cost of creating a portal page
to the President’s
Challenge is $1500.
Mr. Swann noted that the Mayor’s
Challenge would have to create this portal to
participate in the President’s
Challenge. By doing this, Austin would be treated
like a participating group in the President’s
Challenge. The portal page, as well as individual
events, is where the uniqueness of the mayor
can be displayed. However, the program itself
would be the same and the transition from city,
state, and national would be seamless. For example,
the results of someone participating in a city
challenge would automatically roll up to the
state challenge. However, a national participant
would not have his results roll down to the city
level.
Mr. Burke added that the participant’s
registration level would determine who provides
the certificate (i.e., an Austin participant
would receive a certificate from the mayor of
Austin).
Melissa Johnson
Ms. Johnson
noted that the primary objective for the remainder
of 2004 is to focus on promoting the President’s
Challenge program to states and Governors.
Mr.
Swann adjourned the meeting and thanked everyone
for attending.
Back
to top |