Fitness is Fun!
August 2005

Greetings from the office of the President's Challenge Physical Activity and Fitness Awards Program! You have received the August 2005 issue of Fitness is Fun, the official e-mail distribution of the President's Challenge. These monthly e-mails will keep you updated on our program, activities of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS) and other current information pertaining to health and fitness.

GOVERNMENT/PCPFS NEWS:

Laura Bush to Chair Healthy Schools Summit 2005The organization Action for Healthy Kids announced that a "Healthy Schools Summit 2005" will take place on September 27-28 at the Loews L'Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C. Mrs. Laura Bush will serve as honorary chair of the Summit.

The "Healthy Schools Summit 2005" will bring together representatives from the more than 50 national organizations that have partnered with Action for Healthy Kids. They will join former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, other national dignitaries and grassroots leaders from the 51 Action For Healthy Kids state teams to discuss the best ways to effect health-improving changes in the school environment. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN senior medical correspondent, will address the impact media can have on the obesity epidemic and lead a session on identifying ways of reaching those most in need, particularly minorities and urban youth.

Action for Healthy Kids is the only nonprofit organization formed specifically to address the epidemic of overweight, undernourished and sedentary youth by focusing on changes at school. For more information, visit http://www.actionforhealthykids.org

Year 1 Results of the VERB Campaign
Year 1 results of the CDC's VERB campaign are published in the August issue of Pediatrics. Evaluation results show that after 1 year of the campaign, 74% of children surveyed were aware of the VERB campaign and levels of reported sessions of free-time physical activity increased for subgroups of children 9 to 13 years of age. The VERB campaign is a multi-ethinc campaign that combines paid advertisements with school and community promotions and Internet activities to encourage children 9 to 13 years of age to be physically active every day.

A copy of the full article can be found at http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/116/2/e277. For more information about the VERB campaign, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/VERB

Fit Source
The HHS Child Care Bureau is pleased to announce the launch of Fit Source-an interactive Web site for child care and after school providers looking for resources to help address the nation's childhood obesity epidemic. The site allows providers to easily search for a variety of physical activity and nutrition resources by age, topic, and keywords. Providers will find games and activities, lesson plans, healthy recipes, information for parents, fitness campaigns, funding strategies, informational resources, and Spanish language Web sites. The site links to existing federal resources, and was developed after receiving input from over 100 child care providers about their needs. Fit Source is found on the National Child Care Information Center's Web site at http://nccic.org/fitsource.

CircusFit
Created specifically for kids in 2nd through 5th grades, CircusFit is a free online, customizable curriculum for educators, PE instructors and youth leaders. Ringling Bros. specifically created CircusFit to provide educators with a fun way to incorporate fitness, nutrition and healthy living curriculum into their classrooms and after-school programs. Ringling Bros. invites parents to work with your local school or youth organizations to learn how you can reinforce at home some of the healthy living and fitness lessons your children are learning. Educators can register to receive access to all CircusFit Lesson Plans, interactive video clips, handouts and a host of additional support materials and information that will help you set your students or youth group on the path to a physically fit and healthy lifestyle!

CircusFit introduces youth to Ringling Bros. themed fitness, health and nutritional activities. Create your own CircusFit adventure and discover the FUNdamentals of fitness at http://www.circusfit.com.

NFL Charities Issues a Request For Information
NFL Charities, the charitable foundation of the National Football League and its players, has issued the attached Request For Information (RFI) in the area of youth health and wellness. NFL Charities awards $1.5 million each year in its Impact Grant category, which invests in programs that positively impact youth in the areas of education, healthy lifestyles and physical fitness.

NFL Charities intends to invest in programs and initiatives that address the systemic, structural roots of childhood obesity and promote healthy choices and healthy lifestyles among youth. Due to the complexity of the issue and the NFL's commitment to making informed and effective long-term investments in this ever-evolving area, NFL Charities is issuing a RFI, with the intent that the information received will shape and guide our multi-year investment strategy. NFL Charities seeks key stakeholders already active in the field of childhood health and wellness to provide us with existing relevant information as we enter the field and look to make wise tactical investments. The information they are seeking includes historical and current data/trends, key opportunities and obstacles in promoting healthy lifestyles, and current effective projects and initiatives.

Response to the Request for Information is required by September 7, 2005. Please send all relevant materials electronically to NFLImpactGrants@NFL.com. Materials that cannot be sent electronically may be mailed to:

NFL Charities Impact Grant Processes
Attn: Karen Bell
280 Park Avenue, 17^th Floor
New York, NY 10017

Please include relevant background information on your organization along with your RFI submission.

ADA Adopts Shaping America's Youth
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has announced the creation of Shaping America's Health: Association for Weight Management and Obesity Prevention. By using new clinical guidelines and offering evidence-based initiatives, the organization hopes to prevent excess weight and obesity and facilitate a better scientific understanding of weight management.

The new organization's first initiative, Shaping America's Youth (SAY), which was initially launched in November 2003, aims to serve as a resource to families, schools, and communities concerned about childhood inactivity and obesity. SAY has developed a national registry of nearly 2,300 childhood physical activity, nutrition, and weight management programs, and a searchable database of 1,000 programs available at http://www.shapingamericasyouth.org.

To develop clinical guidelines and best practices for health care professionals, the new organization will work in partnership with the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO), the leading scientific society dedicated to the study of obesity, to recruit scientists and clinicians who are experts in obesity and metabolism. For more information about Shaping America's Health, visit http://www.obesityprevention.org.

SPOTLIGHTS:

Michiana Total Body
Total Body Magazine, a quarterly publication of the South Bend Tribune in South Bend, IN, has launched the Total Body Fitness Challenge. The Challenge is a community-wide effort to promote regular physical activity through participation in the President's Challenge and will run until November 24. The magazine will report progress in the October and January issues, and random participants can earn prizes and rewards for reaching their fitness goals. For more information, including how to register as part of this community group, visit /http://www.michianatotalbody.com

Family Health and Fitness Day U.S.A.
promote family involvement in physical activity, one of the goals of the U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health. Events will take place at community sites including hospitals, health clubs, YMCAs, state & county health departments, park districts, houses of worship, and schools nationwide. For more information and to learn how to register,visit http://www.fitnessday.com/family

REMINDERS:

President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Honor Award
The PCPFS Honor Award is given annually to an individual who has made a major contribution to the advancement and promotion of the science of physical activity, in addition to being an advocate of the mission of the PCPFS. Nominations from individuals and organizations are welcome. The nominations will be screened and finalist(s) recommended to the PCPFS Executive Director by a committee of former honor award winners. Nominations for the 2005 Honor Award should be submitted to the PCPFS office no later than December 1, 2004. You may download the form at: http://www.presidentschallenge.org/misc/news_research/announcements/SportsAwardApp.pdf.

President's Challenge State Champions
Each year, President's Challenge honors three schools in each state for their accomplishments in physical fitness. State Champions are determined by the number of Presidential Physical Fitness Awards earned relative to the school's total enrollment. State Champion winners for 2004-2005 will be announced October 1st. Thanks to all the schools that have entered. To view last year's winners, please visit http://www.presidentschallenge.org/educators/school_recognition/state_champs_03_04.aspx.

SPECIAL THANKS

We would like to extend a special thanks to all of the President's Challenge Advocates. Please visit the Advocates area on the http://www.presidentschallenge.org/ web site to see how companies, organizations and groups are making a difference with the President's Challenge.

FEEDBACK

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Fitness is Fun! August 2005

Fitness is Fun!
August 2005