Speaking up for physical activity.

From the Be Active Your Way blog:

In all likelihood, if you are reading this blog, you're already well aware of the myriad of benefits associated with being regularly physically active, and you likely meet or exceed federal physical activity guidelines. What you may be less aware of are the ways in which you can become a voice for physical activity promotion in your community, so that your neighbors, colleagues, and friends can also realize the benefits of being more active.

Maybe you've noticed that physical education is no longer required in your children's school, that there are unsafe sidewalks in your town, or no bike racks where you work, while others never give you thought to such issues. As an individual, what can you do? With May being National Physical Activity Month, you can use the National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) to become a voice for change that echoes for months to come.

Read more...

Obesity in the news.

A Better Way to Fight Obesity: New, Smarter Supermarkets
Sarah Rich for The Atlantic
May 12, 2011
“How can the supermarket become a venue for thinking and talking about health?”

“What Makes a Healthy School?” by Alliance for a Healthier Generation (video)

Garden smarts: Students get leafy green lessons
Jo Anne Killeen for The La Crosse Tribune
May 5, 2011
This year, the Onalaska schools have conducted Tasty Tuesdays on the second Tuesday of each month for second graders. Students get samples of new vegetables and fruits designated as the harvest of the month. April was asparagus and mango. "They did well, they're willing to try," district nutrition director Kerry Johnson said of the students' receptivity. "The idea is to try it. Just a taste."

Save Money, Stay Healthy! Building a World of Wealth and Wellbeing for All
Diane Lefer for New. Clear. Vision.
May 11, 2011
“The built environment in social policy in concrete.”

Washington Post: How Obesity Harms a Child’s Body
The Washington Post recently published an informative and interactive visual on the effects of childhood obesity on the body.

Fast-Food Lobbies U.S. States on 'Happy Meal' Laws
Reuters
May 9, 2011
Fast-food companies are asking U.S. state legislators to remove restaurant marketing from local governments' regulatory menu, in the latest industry bid to stay a step ahead of anti-obesity laws. The lobbying push, which has succeeded in Arizona and gained traction in Florida, aims to stop marketing restrictions before they start. The efforts come as food companies face increasing scrutiny from the U.S. government over how they pitch their products to youngsters as obesity rates rise.

Outagamie County: Press Release for Bike Month

Appleton East and Neenah's Hoover Elementary Gear Up for Bike Month        

Contact: Jennifer Van Den Elzen or Ben Stumpf

Phone: 920-832-4452; 920-284-0917

Email: vandenjl@co.outagamie.wi.us; stumpfbenjamin@aasd.k12.wi.us

May is National Bike Month!  Celebrate this month by biking to work, school, the store, or just leisurely with your family.

Appleton East High School and Hoover Elementary in Neenah are using this month to promote biking and physical activity.  At Appleton East High School, the week of May 23rd is Bike to School Week, and Thursday, May 26th is Bike to School Day. Hoover Elementary will be sponsoring a fun run and bike rodeo on May 27th to celebrate their efforts to build physical activity into their school day.

Both schools are also partnering with local physical activity focused coalitions, the Fitness And Nutrition (FAN) Coalition and Walk to Win, and participating in an Active Schools initiative to get kids up and moving every day and to fight the rising problem of obesity in our nation and state.  Active Schools focuses on environmental or policy changes that can be made in the school setting to help kids meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity.

“Bike to School Week is a great opportunity for students to get out and ride for fun, fitness or transportation,” said Ben Stumpf, of the Active Schools Grant Team at Appleton East.

Why is this important?

• Physical activity can help children improve their concentration, memory, and classroom behavior.
• Research shows that higher physical fitness is related to higher state academic test scores, higher attendance, and fewer negative school incidents.
• Half of Wisconsin students are getting an F in physical activity recommendations – a grade no parent wants to see.
• Children are increasingly being diagnosed with obesity-related chronic illnesses.
• More than 25% of Wisconsin’s high school students are overweight or obese.

What is being done?

Appleton East and Hoover Elementary are promoting physical activity in the classroom, at recess, at home, and before and after school.  Students have the opportunity to learn the importance of eating healthy and being active. 

Appleton East students and faculty who ride their bikes to school during the week of Monday, May 23 may be able to win prizes, including a bike from Chain Reaction Cyclery of Appleton. Free breakfast will be provided to all participants on Bike to School Day. East High School is also working hard to add more bike parking that is easier to access at the school in order to continue to promote biking year round.

Tips to help keep you safe while biking:

• Keep your bike in proper working order.
• Have your bike checked over by your local bike shop.
• Learn the routine maintenance that needs to be done on your bike.
• Always wear a helmet to protect your head in the event of a crash.
• Ride on the right side of the road, always in the same direction as other traffic.
• Ride as far to the right as practical, not as far right as possible.  Practical means safe and reasonable.
• Obey all stop signs, traffic lights and lane markings.
• Look before you change lanes or signal a turn; indicate your intention, then act.
• Be visible and predictable at all times; wear bright clothing and signal turns.

About the Fitness And Nutrition (FAN) Coalition: FAN grew out of the Outagamie County Community Health Improvement Planning process, which identified nutrition, physical activity and obesity prevention as priority health issues for our county. This collaboration strives to create environments that support and promote healthy eating, daily physical activity, and a healthy weight in the places we live, learn, work and play. We work to build capacity within our community to implement best, evidence-based and promising strategies, identify and enhance communication with non-traditional partners, and create opportunities for program sustainability. In addition to partnering with Appleton East High School on the Active Schools Initiative, the FAN Coalition is working to address rising obesity levels in other schools, the community, and the worksite setting through a variety of partnerships. For more information on the FAN Coalition, or to get involved contact Jennifer Van Den Elzen (vandenjl@co.outagamie.wi.us, 920.832.4452)

About Walk to Win: Walk to Win is an annual community walking program that has been in existence since 2002. The program is heavily promoted to area schools and businesses, but is open to all individuals 5 years of age or older, employed or residing in the counties of Calumet, Outagamie or Winnebago. All participants are challenged to walk 30 minutes a day at least 5 times a week over a 3-month period in the fall. This program is part of the solution to encouraging our citizens to engage in positive behaviors that impact their health. For more information, visit http://www.walktowin.org/.

Portage County CAN: 2011 Worksite Wellness Summit

The 2011 Worksite Wellness Summit is coming on June 15th, 2011 and registration is open now!   Portage County CAN is hosting this regional summit for employers, human resource professionals, occupational health specialists, worksite wellness coordinators, CEOs and Upper Management, and anyone interested in worksite wellness!

Judd Allen, Ph.D. will talk about why
creating culture change is an important
strategy for worksites.

This year's summit theme, "Creating a Culture of Change," emphasizes our focus on creating healthy work environments through policy change, environmental change, and using the best practice approach for worksite wellness.  This conference will showcase successful programs from throughout the region that have created a cultural shift in their workplace wellness.  Plus, you'll hear from national speaker and author, Judd Allen, Ph.D., about why creating culture change is an important strategy for all worksites to implement.

Registration is only $10 per person, and all pre-registered participants receive a free copy of "Wellness Leadership:  Creating Supportive Environments for Healthier and More Productive Employees" by Judd Allen, Ph.D.  You can find more information and registration materials on our website at http://www.portagecountycan.org/.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Rachel King at (715) 345-5727 or kingr@co.portage.wi.us. 

The 2011 Prevention Conference program is up and conference registration is open!

This year's conference theme, "Using the Power of Our Voices to Influence Change!" emphasizes our focus on communicating the important issues in prevention more effectively - through technology, collaboration, powerful stories, advocacy, and more.

More than 50 workshops are being offered during the three days of the conference including many focused on physical activity and nutrition.

We encourage you to review the conference program on the website and register soon to guarantee the workshops you wish to attend. (Register now!)

And if you haven't made hotel reservations yet, contact Chula Vista Resort Hotel now to book your room. (You can find lodging information here.)

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS:
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Our featured speakers include our opening Keynote presenter, David Hunt, nationally known speaker, facilitator, trainer, planner, thinker, and community and organization builder. Mr. Hunt will kick off the conference as he challenges us to look at the role and power that stories play in helping us to work toward prevention policy and systems change.

Day Two of the conference features an address by Frances Butterfoss, a well-respected health educator who brings great expertise and experience in community collaboration. As founder and president of Coalitions Work, Dr. Butterfoss brings a wealth of knowledge on developing, sustaining, and evaluating coalitions for health promotion and disease prevention.

Closing the conference we have invited Lorraine Lathen, President of Jump at the Sun Consultants. Ms. Lathen is a health advocate and has worked in public health and social marketing for most of her career. We look forward to her exciting send-off following three days of workshops, sharing, and networking.

All three of our keynote speakers are also presenting workshops during our breakout sessions. Find out more about the entire conference by going to the conference page on the Clearinghouse Website at http://wch.uhs.wisc.edu/.


Check online to find out more details. And share the news! We're looking forward to seeing you in June!

National Walking Survey

Help America Walks learn more about who walks, and why we walk.  

This survey will take only 5 minutes to complete and results are anonymous.

The National Walking Survey results will help walking advocates understand what motivates avid walkers, and what keeps others from walking more. Once the data is analyzed, America Walks will tell you what we've learned to help promote walking in America. 

For more information, contact America Walks.

 

Click here to take the survey. It's also available through the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals website.

Got Veggies?

The Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Program, in collaboration with Community GroundWorks, REAP Food Group, UW Extension and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, recently released it's newest garden-based toolkit.

Got Veggies? is a garden-based nutrition education curriculum created with the goal of getting children to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Got Veggies? features seven full lesson plans that are aligned with Wisconsin 's Model Academic Standards for Nutrition, Health, Science, and other related subjects.  A series of shorter garden-based activities are also included, as well as fun recipes and helpful tips for cooking and eating in the garden.  This curriculum provides an all around great way to nurture students’ interest in growing and eating fresh fruits and vegetables!

Growing evidence demonstrates that nutrition education used in conjunction with youth gardens positively impacts child and adolescent nutrition. In the midst of a national obesity epidemic, it has never been so important to support children in improving their eating and physical activity habits.