 |
|
| • |
|
| • |
|
| • |
|
| • |
|
|
| • |
|
| • |
|
| • |
|
| • |
|
| • |
|
|
| • |
|
| • |
|
| • |
|
| • |
|
| • |
|
| • |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Div. of Media Relations
1600 Clifton Road
MS D-14
Atlanta, GA 30333
(404) 639-3286
Fax (404) 639-7394 |
|
|
|
 |
October 4, 2000
Contact: Tim Hensley
CDC, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention
& Health Promotion
(770) 488–5820
First International
"Walk Our Children to School Day"
Gets Families Active on the Way to School
Many U.S. children are overweight, partly because physical activity is not part of their
daily lives. The first International Walk Our Children to School Day on October 4 seeks to
help reverse this trend, and will highlight the benefits of children’s walking and bicycling
to school as a way to promote health and the benefits of making communities more
pedestrian-friendly.
David Satcher, Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary for Health of the Department of
Health and Human Services, will help kick-off this year’s event as he joins a group of
children on October 4th walking to the East Silver Spring Elementary, Silver Spring
Maryland. Walking groups will assemble at the Montgomery County Police Station at 801 Sligo
Avenue at 8:30 a.m. and proceed to the school located at 630 Silver Spring Avenue. Dr. Satcher
will make brief remarks at the school and will be available for interviews.
"Our young people need help to get moving," said Dr. Satcher. He noted that the
number of overweight children has doubled in the past two decades, leading to a generation at
risk for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other serious health problems. Physical
inactivity is a major factor. Nearly half of all young people do not take part in regular,
vigorous physical activity, and less than half of all high school students have regular
physical education classes at school.
The Walk Our Children to School Day hopes to help remedy this problem by promoting travel
to and from school as a safe, active, and enjoyable part of children’s lives. Last year’s
event drew more than 300,000 walkers — children, parents, and community leaders — from
some 170 cities across the nation. This year marks the first International Walk to School Day,
with events planned in Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Gibralter, and
Cyprus.
To keep the initiative going all year, CDC has developed a new guide,
"KidsWalk-to-School," to help parents and community members create safe routes to
school. The guide focuses on a program oriented for children of all ages who live within
walking distance of school, but can also be adapted for children who live farther away or do
not have safe routes to school.
Besides boosting physical activity for children, other community benefits of providing safe
walking and bicycling routes to school include reduced traffic in and around schools and
residential areas, the potential for greater neighborhood social interaction, and reduced
crime.
"Parents and schools have an important role in fostering positive environmental
changes in the community," said Dr. Satcher. "Launching the KidsWalk-to-School
program is a great example. By providing safe ways for young people to be active at home, in
the community and at school, a Walk to School program can foster healthy lifestyles that will
persist into adulthood."
To obtain a copy of the KidsWalk-to-School guide you may download it from the CDC Web site:
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/kidswalk.htm,
request by e-mail at: ccdinfo@cdc.gov or call toll-free
888-CDC-4NRG. For information about the Walk Our Children to School Day, visit http://www.walktoschool-usa.org, and for the
international effort visit http://www.iwalktoschool.org.
|
