Fitness is Fun!
March 2004

2nd National Steps to a HealthierUS Summit
The 2nd National Steps to a HealthierUS Summit will take place on April 29-30, 2004. Join Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson, along with special guests, educators, business and community leaders, and policy makers for an in-depth look at our nation's health. Find out what communities across the country are doing to tackle obesity, diabetes, cancer, asthma, and heart disease and stroke and to increase physical activity, improve nutrition, promote preventive screenings, and encourage healthy choices. For more information and to register for this event, please visit: http://www.seeuthere.com/event/m2c666-871215513735

The PCPFS revises "Kids in Action"
The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports has revised The Kids in Action Booklet. This publication incorporates fitness for children from birth to 5 years of age. Parents are often challenged to find ways to encourage their children to be physically active. This booklet contains some ideas for activities that you and your children can do together. To view this publication please visit: http://fitness.gov/Reading_Room/reading_room.html Scroll down to the publication, listed alphabetically under K.

Project ACES
Project ACES (All Children Exercising Simultaneously) occurs each May. The event is represented by millions of school children exercising simultaneously all over the world. The ultimate goal of this even, is to educate children concerning the importance of lifelong fitness and to help end the negative assumption that children are physically unfit. This year's Project ACES will take place on Wednesday May 5, 2004. For more information on Project ACES, visit: http://www.projectaces.com

The PE Central Challenge
The PE Central Challenge is a popular motor skills challenge offered by PE Central (www.pecentral.org). The challenge is for 4th and 5th graders and it is comprised of six fun motor skill tasks. Teachers can register for the Challenge in October and then they can offer the Challenge to their students in their school. Free pins are offered each year to those who register. The teachers who participated in 2003 reported that over 118,000-4th and 5th grade youngsters from all over the world (including Italy, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Canada, and the USA) participated in the Challenge. Teachers who don't register can still have their kids participate and offer the free downloadable certificates as prizes or they can purchase pins for 1.00 each. For more details visit the PE Central Challenge Web site: http://www.pecentral.org/pecchallenge/index.html

Poor Diet and Physical Inactivity May Soon Overtake Tobacco As Leading Cause of Death in U.S.
On March 10th The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a new study that shows a substantial narrowed gab between deaths due to poor diet and physical activity and those due to smoking. The study is based on data that was gathered through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. According to the study, "about half of all deaths in the U.S. can be attributed to largely preventable behaviors and exposures, with tobacco use and poor diet/physical inactivity accounting for the majority of preventable deaths."

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention released this study, which provides a glimpse of the rising health care crisis in smoking, poor nutrition and physical inactivity. Researchers found that the leading causes of death in 2000 were tobacco, poor diet and physical inactivity, and alcohol consumption. These behaviors are preventable and are significant contributors to cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. For more information on this study, contact the JAMA/Archives Media Relations Department at 312-464-JAMA or email: mediarelations@jama-archives.org. This article is also available in its entirety at http://www.jama.com

Senate Committee Examines the Rise of Obesity in Children
Increased obesity rates among children were the focus for the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Competition, Foreign Commerce, and Infrastructure on March 2nd. Chair Gordon Smith noted in his opening statement that the American obesity rate has doubled since 1980, which has cost the federal government approximately $117 billion a year.

U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona announced that "because of the increasing rates of obesity, unhealthy eating habits, and physical inactivity, we may see the first generation that will be less healthy and have a shorter life expectancy than their parents." The Surgeon General also noted that one-third of the children born in 2000 will develop Type 2 diabetes, increasing their risk of developing heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and blindness. Dr. Carmona indicates that the main way to combat obesity is to improve "health literacy". Parents need to make healthy choices as well and support an active family lifestyle, suggests Dr. Carmona. He also points out that The U.S. Department of Agriculture will be revising the Dietary Guidelines for America and releasing a new Food Guide Pyramid in 2005.

Fiber Rich Fruits and Cereals Protect Heart
A recent study published in the Feb. 23 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine, reveals that for each 10 grams of fiber consumed per day, you can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 14% and death from this disease by 27%. This study also found that the source of fiber had a significant effect on lowering the risks. Researchers say that fiber from cereals and fruits are most effective. According to the American Dietetic Association, Americans should consume 20-35 grams of fiber each day; however Americans only average between 12-17 grams per day. To read more about this study visit: http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/82/97344.htm

Elderly Work Up a Sweat for Exercise
According to the Archives of Internal Medicine, new research suggests that regular exercise is not only one of the keys to healthy living, but may also be significant for people to stay independent longer as they age (at least for women). The study followed 229 women who averaged 74 years of age, over a 14 year time period. Results indicated that those women, who were most active in sports or leisure activity, were more likely to be living independently nearly a decade and a half later. As indicated, regular activity can be beneficial; however experts do recommend that everyone check with a doctor before starting any exercise program. To view this article in its entirety visit: http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/02/20/hln.fit.elderly.exercise/index.html

Pep Grant Program Announcement
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools is pleased to announce the release of the FY 2004 Physical Education for Progress (PEP) program announcement. In FY 2004, the Department will distribute $69,587,000 to an estimated 230 grantees. Applications are due March 22, 2004. In 2004, the grant will be offered for a period up to three years. In the past, only one-year grants were offered. In 2004, the Department would like to fund more comprehensive grants that include multiple program elements as outlined in the legislation. The Department encourages the submission of projects that deal with comprehensive aspects of lifelong health and fitness, including nutrition. The department's desire is to fund a broader spectrum of activities that can result in much more comprehensive and effective projects. More information, including answers to Frequently Asked Questions, can be found in the Application Package, available on the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools' website: http://www.ed.gov/programs/whitephysed/applicant.html.

Advocate Spotlight - Children's National Medical Center
Children's National Medical Center sponsored a pilot program at Barnard Elementary in Washington, DC as part of the Children's Healthy Schools/President's Challenge campaign. All of the students at Barnard were challenged to earn the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA). CNMC worked with the President's Challenge to develop a passport containing general health promotion and physical activity information and a log with which participants tracked their physical activities. The Children's National Medical Center also provided participants who met the program's requirements (5 days of 60 minutes of activity for 6-weeks) with a PALA patch and certificate. Children's has graciously committed to implementing its Healthy Schools program to other DC-area schools throughout 2004-2005. For more information on the Children's National Medical Center, visit: http://164.109.176.237/index.htm.

Program Spotlight - The Presidential Champions Program
The Presidential Champions program challenges you to see how high you can raise your activity level. Your goal is to see how many points you can earn by being active. You'll earn points for every activity you log. Points are based on the time exercised and the intensity of each activity competed. So the more active you are, the more points you'll get.

The standard option for this program has a 750-point daily cap to encourage staying active every day. Earning a Bronze award takes 20,000 points, 45,000 for the Silver, and finally 80,000 points to earn the Gold award. There's even a special option for performance athletes and others who train at more advanced levels. This option does not have a daily point cap; however more points are required to earn each award.

Our personal, online 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 you haven't completed yet, you can go back up to 14 days to enter past activities. When you reach your goal, your activity log will remind you that you've earned an award. That's all there is to it. The only thing left is to sign up and pick your first activity. To read more about The Presidential Champions Program visit: http://www.presidentschallenge.org/the_challenge/presidential_champions.aspx

May is National Physical Fitness and Sport Month
This May marks the 21st anniversary of National Physical Fitness and Sport Month. It's always a good time to incorporate activity into your life. Get started by registering yourself and family with The President's Challenge and begin to challenge yourself!

Future Exhibits
The President's Challenge will be an exhibitor in New Orleans, Louisiana, as a part of the 2004 Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. This year's conference will run from March 30th - April 3rd. Information will be posted at www.aahperd.org/convention as it becomes available.