Fitness is Fun!

What's Happening in Washington
SENATE PASSES IMPACT BILL: The Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act (IMPACT Act), which amends the Public Health Service Act to address issues of overweight and obesity, was passed by the Senate on December 9, 2003. The focus will now shift to the House, where the Act (H.R. 716) remains in committee. Follow the bill's progress at http://thomas.loc.gov

International Survey: Fattest Teens in U.S.
United States teens are more likely than those from other countries to consume fast food, snacks, and sodas. They are also more likely to be driven to school and other activities, contributing to a more sedentary lifestyle says, Mary Overpeck, co-author of the U.S. Maternal and Child Health Bureau. These findings are based on an international survey, which included 15 industrialized countries. The survey also revealed that among American 15 year-olds, 15 percent of girls and almost 14 percent of boys are obese. To learn more about this growing problem of obesity and some statistics from other countries involved in the study visit http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/parenting/01/05/obese.teens.ap/index.html

Healthy Schools for Healthy Kids
Two national polls show that teachers and parents overwhelmingly agree that schools should provide access to healthy foods and daily physical education as a means to address the childhood obesity epidemic. These and other poll results are detailed in "Healthy Schools for Healthy Kids," funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report is based on two years of interviews, schools site visits and policy analyses. It can be viewed at http://www.rwjf.org/new/release/healthyschools. This article can also be found within the "University of South Carolina Prevention Research Center Notes" located at http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/Newsletter/index.htm

CDC: Medical Cost of Obesity $75 Billion
According to a new study, taxpayers were responsible for over half of all obesity-related medical costs, totaling $75 billion in 2003. The public's payment is about $39 billion a year, which averages to about $175 per person. The study was done by the nonprofit group RTI International and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are an increasing number of health problems related to being overweight or obese according to Dr. Denise Bruner, chair of the board of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians. This opinion is also supported by the CDC, who determined through the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, about 64 percent of adult in the U.S. are either overweight or obese. The executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Michael Jacobson, believes that obesity should be treated and prevented through public health programs to encourage healthy diets and exercise. Healthier diets and exercise would certainly make headway towards saving money on medical expenses and saving the taxpayer's money. This article can be read in its entirety at http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/conditions/01/21/obesity.spending.ap/index.html

Upbeat Music Boosts Exercise Intensity
Need a jumpstart to your daily workout? Try listening to upbeat music during exercise. A recent study, presented at the annual American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation meeting, revealed that exercise intensity, heart rate, and power output increased as the music's tempo quickened. Please visit http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/75/89815.htm for more information.

Government Leaders to Create Healthier Communities; Grants Awarded to Encourage Active Living Nationwide
In many communities across the United States it is difficult to walk or ride a bike to work, school, or even to the store. To help make communities more activity friendly, Active Living Leadership has announced new grants designed to help state and local leaders accomplish this goal. Active Living Leadership is a national project supported by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and administered by San Diego State University.

Several national organizations were selected to receive grants, they included the Local Government Commission; the National Governors Association; the International City/County Management Association; the National Conference of State Legislatures; and the Joint Center for Sustainable Communities. The objective of the grantee organizations is to explore ways to design neighborhoods and communities to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists, while working closely with state and local leaders to adopt policy options that will support an active lifestyle. They will also host workshops, create resources materials, and provide managerial assistance to those communities who are looking to become more active.

Marla Hollander, director of Active Living Leadership believes that an active living community "enhances quality of life, attracts business, and provides enormous cost savings to state and local governments, ultimately leading to greater economic viability." For more information about Active Living Leadership, please visit www.activelivingleadership.org

Program Spotlight: The Active Lifestyle Program
Your goal is to meet your daily activity goal (30 minutes a day for adults/60 minutes a day for kids under 18) at least 5 days a week, for a total of 6 weeks. You can take up to 8 weeks to complete the program. Our online personal activity log makes it easy for you to track the time you spend on activities. You can log your time as often as you want, in amounts as short as 5 minutes. Although you can't log time for activities have not completed yet, you can go back up to 14 days to enter past activities. You can choose from all kinds of activities that will put you well on your way to achieving an active lifestyle.

You can also keep track of your progress on paper by downloading an activity log form. [PDF] ] Keep in mind, this means we won't have an online record of the activity points you earn - so you can't carry them over if you ever want to complete for a Presidential Champions medal.

When you reach your goal, your activity log will remind you that you've earned an award. You can order it right online or by mail. Then you can continue earning awards in the Active Lifestyle program or move on to the next challenge: the Presidential Champions program. So what are you waiting for? Join the challenge!