Physical Activity Guidelines
During his keynote address on the state of the nation’s health, presented at the National Prevention Summit on October 26, 2006, HHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt announced that the Department will move forward with the development of comprehensive physical activity guidelines. “Physical activity is vital to promote and maintain health, but it’s easy for many of us to overlook,” Secretary Leavitt said. “The physical activity guidelines will underscore the importance of physical activity to America’s health and assist on the journey to a healthier life. Good health -- wellness -- doesn’t just happen. Wellness has to be a habit.”

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans will be issued in Fall of 2008. The guidelines will summarize the latest knowledge about activity and health, with depth and flexibility targeting specific population subgroups, such as seniors and children.

Secretary Leavitt underscored the importance of shifting from a treatment-focused society to one that values prevention-based care. Treatment for chronic diseases accounts for 75 percent of what America spends on health care each year, and overweight and obesity affects an estimated 66 million individuals. Emphasis on the four pillars of the HealthierUS initiative -- physical activity, good diet, healthy choices and preventive screening -- is crucial for the nation’s health.

The determination to develop the guidelines was made after a two day meeting convened by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and chaired by Dr. William Haskell, Professor Emeritus of Medicine at Stanford University. Expert research scientists presented a comprehensive review of the scientific evidence supporting the need for such guidelines. A workshop summary will be released by IOM in January, 2007.

The PCPFS will serve as the outreach arm of the guidelines. Executive Director Melissa Johnson serves on a federal steering committee led by Admiral Penny Royall and coordinated by Captain Rick Troiano. Dr. Bill Kohl from the CDC also serves on this committee.

A federal register notice will be posted at the end of January calling for nominations for individuals to serve on the federal advisory committee. Information will be posted on www.fitness.gov and emailed to the PCPFSNews distribution list as it becomes available.

Older Americans
On September 28, 2006, Secretary Leavitt announced the release of more than $13 million to 16 states to improve the health and quality of life for older Americans. This endeavor, part of a collaboration with The Atlantic Philanthropies announced earlier this year, supports President Bush's HealthierUS Initiative which encourages people to take control over their health in order to live longer, better and healthier lives.

HHS will support efforts over three years in up to 16 states to support the delivery of evidence based programs for senior aging services provider organizations, such as senior centers, nutrition programs, senior housing projects and faith based organizations. At least 36 communities will have programs up and running within a year.

Women’s Health
The Health Resources and Services Administration released Women’s Health USA 2006, the fifth edition of the Women’s Health USA series. To reflect the ever-changing, increasingly diverse population and its characteristics, Women’s Health USA selectively highlights emerging issues and trends in women’s health. Data and information on life expectancy, postpartum depression, food security and smoking during pregnancy are a few of the new topics included in this site. Where possible, every effort has been made to highlight racial and ethnic as well as sex disparities.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
*Sports-Related Injuries Among High School Athletes---United States, 2005-06 School Year.

MMWR, Weekly, September 29, 2006/ 55(38); 1037-140

CDC-Division of Adolescent and School Health
The School Health Index Training Manual is Now Available: “The manual is a packaged set of materials for conducting trainings or presentations on the School Health Index:  A Self-Assessment and Planning Guide (SHI).  Detailed materials and resources on how to implement the SHI in schools are provided.  Users can select the most appropriate sections of the SHI Training Manual and customize those components to best suit their needs.”

The CDC and Environmental Protection Agency partnered with other public and private agencies and organizations to develop: Understanding the Relationship Between Public Health And The Built Environment: A Report Prepared For The LEED-ND Core Committee (PDF file). [LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] The report summarizes the linkages between public health (physical activity, traffic accidents, air quality, and mental health) and the ways in which communities are designed (land use, transportation systems, density, etc.) and provides strategies for making positive changes within communities to better improve the built environment (and health-related factors).

National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Seven institutes within the NIH “announced contracts totaling $61 million over 6 ½ years to conduct the largest long-term epidemiological study of health and disease in Latin American populations living in the United States.

As many as 16,000 participants of Hispanic/Latino origin -- 4,000 at each of four sites -- will undergo a series of physical examinations and interviews to help identify the prevalence of and risk factors for a wide variety of diseases, disorders, and conditions. Participants in the Hispanic Community Health Study will range in age from 18 to 74 years and will be followed over time for occurrence of disease. The study will also determine the role of cultural adaptation and disparities in the prevalence and development of disease. –Excerpted from NIH News October 12, 2006

Task Force on Community Preventive Services
The Guide to Community Preventive Services has three new summary sheets on physical activity recommendations. The summary sheets highlight policy and environmental approaches to physical activity. Refer to the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 3(Suppl 1):S55-S76, 2006, for a detailed report.

And elsewhere…

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The CDC and PCPFS are working with the EPA and other organizations to recognize communities that address the need for environmental supports to help older adults remain physically active as they age.

Entitled, "Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging," the goal of the program is to raise awareness in communities across the country about the importance of what EPA terms Smart Growth and its partner organizations identify as Active Aging for older adults.

The program will recognize community planning and development that improves quality of life for older adults in U.S. counties, cities and towns, including Native American communities. The Smart Growth component addresses such factors as density, design, walkability, housing and transportation in community design.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
FY 2006 Team Nutrition Grant Recipients

This year, two types of grants were awarded: traditional Team Nutrition Training Grants and Team Nutrition Local Wellness Demonstration Projects.

Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Montana, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, and South Carolina received the traditional Team Nutrition Training Grants. In addition to providing training and technical assistance, the grants will be used to develop strategies for parents, teachers and school administrators to serve as role models on eating healthy and being physically active and will allow States to collaborate and partner with other agencies and organizations that have programs and initiatives promoting healthy eating and physical activity.

California, Iowa, and Pennsylvania received the Team Nutrition Local Wellness Demonstration Projects. This cooperative agreement will allow these States to provide training and technical assistance as well as conduct case studies to assess local wellness policy activities in individual districts; document the processes and resources used by these districts; assess changes and improvements made toward a healthier school environment; and evaluate any short or intermediate outcomes as part of local wellness policies implementation. Funding is for September 2006-September 2009.

*Maternal and Child Health Library, Georgetown University
Physical Activity and Children and Adolescents Knowledge Path is an electronic resource guide offering a selection of current resources that analyze data, describe public health campaigns and other promotion programs, and report on research aimed at identifying promising strategies for improving physical activity levels within families, schools, and communities. The knowledge path also provides resources that describe the consequences of sedentary behavior. The knowledge path for health professionals, policymakers, educators, coaches, and families is available at the Maternal and Child Health Library Web site.

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
AAP released The Clinical Report on the Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds on October 9, 2006.