Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Initiative
Acting Surgeon General Rear Admiral Steven Galson, M.D., MPH kicked off his Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future initiative. This effort will take him on a nationwide tour to showcase what communities are doing to help combat overweight and obesity among children. The tour follows up on the announcement of the HHS Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Initiative at the 2007 National Prevention and Health Promotion Summit. As part of this initiative, Rear Admiral Galson will work with community stakeholders on programs that encourage community-based interventions. He will recognize community programs and campaigns throughout the nation that are addressing childhood overweight and obesity prevention to help kids stay active, encourage healthy eating habits, and promote healthy choices. The goal is to highlight these best practices so that communities across the country will follow their example—creating healthy youth for a healthy future.
Quick Guide to Health Literacy
HHS released a new health literacy tool for people who serve older adults. The Quick Guide to Health Literacy and Older Adults is designed to provide useful strategies and suggestions to help bridge the communication gap between professionals and older adults.
Healthy People 2020 Development
The public is invited to comment on the development of health objectives for the nation for the next decade. Regional hearings will take place this spring in Boston, Chicago, Fort Worth, San Francisco, and Bethesda, MD. The first hearing was held on March 17 in Atlanta. To register to attend one of the hearings or sign up to receive updates through the Healthy People listserv, please visit the Healthy People website.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Body Mass Index Measurement in Schools
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention produced Body Mass Index Measurement in Schools to describe the purpose of school-based BMI surveillance and screening programs. The article examines current practices, identifies concerns surrounding programs, and outlines needs for future research. Guidance is provided on specific safeguards that need to be addressed before schools decide to collect BMI information. The article appeared in the Journal of School Health.
Physical Activity Articles in Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD)
The January and April 2008 issues of PCD feature several articles on physical activity and exercise. Among them a report on a group exercise program targeting ethnic older adults, an article on the relationship between dietary practices, dining out, physical activity behavior and weight loss maintenance (both in January), a pilot study on a faith-based physical activity program (April), and a comparative case study on active transport to and from school (April). Additional articles focus on physical activity measurement in older adults and cultural attitudes towards physical activity and diet. To access this free journal, please visit the PCD page on CDC's website .
The Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT)
The HECAT can guide schools and others as they analyze health education curricula. The tool utilizes the National Health Education Standards and the CDC’s Characteristics of Effective Health Education Curricula to conduct comparisons. HECAT results can help schools and school districts select or develop appropriate and effective health education curricula.
Community Health Resources Web Site
The Community Health Resources Web site is a searchable database of the CDC’s best resources addressing a variety of chronic diseases and other health topics including physical activity. The resources of each disease or topic are grouped based on focus or purpose of the information (e.g., evaluation, surveillance, community program, etc.).
Morbidity Mortality Weekly Report
Prevalence of Adult Physical Activity – United States, 2001 and 2005
Findings show the prevalence of regular physical activity increased among men (48% to 49.7%) and women (43% to 46.7%) from 2001 to 2005.
Quickstats: Estimated Percentage of Patients Aged 45 Years or Older Who Received Exercise Counseling from Their Primary-Care Physicians from the 2003-2005 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.
Survey data show that men aged 45-54 were most likely (22.1%) to receive exercise counseling from their primary-care physician. Women aged 75 years and older were least likely (9.2%) to receive counseling.
Health, United States, 2007
The report is a compilation of more than 150 health tables and includes data on leisure time physical activity participation among adults.
School Health Education Resources (SHER)
SHER is a unique, user-friendly web tool that consolidates the health education resources developed and distributed by the various centers within the CDC. SHER is geared towards Pre-K-12 classroom teachers, school nurses, counselors, curriculum directors, and school administrators.
Instructional materials are aligned with the National Health Education Standards, Second Edition, 2007, and CDC’s Characteristics of Effective Health Education Curriculum.
School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) 2006
The 2006 report includes a number of questions that assessed state policies related to physical activity and physical education programming in schools. Questions addressed time requirements for physical education, requirements for recess, and the level of certification required for physical education teachers. All fifty states and the District of Columbia responded to the self-report questionnaires mailed to state education agencies. Review the full report (PDF file: 1.82MB).
National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP)
A new series of teen tip sheets are now available. The tip sheets are designed for youth ages 11 to 17 to encourage them to take action to manage their diabetes. Topics covered include “What is Diabetes,” being active, weight management, and healthy food choices. An additional sheet, “Lower Your Risk for Type 2 Diabetes,” provides information teens can use to prevent them from developing this dangerous disease.
DiabetesAtWork Workshop Planning Toolkit
The toolkit features the free resources of www.diabetesatwork.org that were developed to help employers promote diabetes prevention and control through worksite interventions.
These materials include:
- A step-by-step plan for coordinating and executing a DiabetesAtWork workshop;
- Sample checklists, letters, agendas, presentation and media material, and other resources to get started; and
- Articles on worksite productivity, diabetes prevention and management at the worksite, and the return on investment that can be realized by providing worksite diabetes programs.
Download the toolkit (PDF: 463KB) or
order a CD of the toolkit, complete with electronic versions of all the documents.
In January NDEP began promoting its Small Steps. Big Rewards. campaign through the distribution of radio and print public service announcements that encourage people to take small steps to prevent diabetes. The campaign provides tailored messages and materials for high risk audiences.
National Institutes of Health – National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
NHLBI announced a national partnership with the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). The partnership will utilize NHLBIs science-based We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition) program to help African American children maintain a healthy weight. As part of the effort, NCNW members across the U.S. will train parents and children on ways to incorporate physical activity and good nutrition into their daily lives.
Shortly before announcing the partnership with NCNW, NHLBI and the Association of Children’s Museums announced their collaboration to utilize unique exhibits and venues to deliver We Can! messages to school groups and families visiting museums across the country. Thus far, over 40 national and corporate partners have signed on to implement We Can! in community centers, schools, health care settings, worksites, and faith based organizations nationwide.
And elsewhere…
US Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
The Eat Smart. Play Hard. program website has a new look and feel. A search tool makes it easier than ever for educators and others to search for program materials by target audience, topic, and language.
The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion launched MyPyramid Menu Planner. An individual can use the tool to see if his food choices are balanced for the day or over the course of a week. The interactive website can help plan meals that meet MyPyramid goals and provides suggestions on ways to improve food choices.
Empowering Youth with Nutrition and Physical Activity is a manual geared towards after school programs and classrooms that targets youth ages 11-18. The manual features current nutrition and physical activity information; and includes fun, hands-on activities that teach nutrition concepts; ideas to include nutrition education and physical activity into youth programs and events; and resources to help youth develop a nutrition or physical activity related community project.
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and American Medical Association (AMA)
The ACSM and AMA launched Exercise is Medicine (EIM), an initiative to encourage healthcare providers to consider physical activity a vital sign in every patient. Encouraging physicians and other healthcare providers to be active is also part of EIM, which will provide tools and resources and encourage policies that help make physical activity participation a standard part of the patient/provider dialogue.
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) National Partnership
The Partnership launched a new website featuring an interactive map that allows users to click on a State to learn about their SRTS program -- who coordinates the program, outreach activities, and grant opportunities.
The Partnership released the Safe Routes to School: 2007 State of the States Report, which discusses the status of the federal SRTS program. Download the report (PDF: 775KB).
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
The latest Policy and Issue Brief provides an overview of state action to improve nutrition and increase physical activity in an effort to prevent obesity. Additional briefs that may be of interest include:
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