Wednesday April 5, 2006


 

 

Newsletter -- Surrounding Our Kids with Physical Activities

 

Opportunities for children to get safe and healthy physical activity have largely been engineered out of our communities. Multi-lane roads have replaced sidewalks and bike paths and play spaces are far away or unsafe. The result is that children's obesity and disease rates are rising.

 

Designing communities so that children have ample opportunity for physical activity is vital to improving children's long-term health.Seventy percent of Americans live in areas where there are no bike paths or lanes, and, according to a 2002 survey, nearly one-third of Americans polled live in communities without sidewalks. Children's opportunities to walk to school or ride a bike safely are limited when communities forsake sidewalks and bike paths for high-speed roads.Walking to school can be an important opportunity for incorporating physical activity into an otherwise busy day.

 

Organize a walk to school day where parents and elementary school kids walk to school in "pied piper" fashion led by a local high school marching band. This event can be held in partnership with local law enforcement to showcase their commitment to providing safe streets for kids.What's Happening Today Centennial Place Blue Ribbon Model Community Celebration, Atlanta, Ga. Safety at Home, Brookline, Mass.

  • Hoops for Heart, Coventry, R.I.
  • Get Fit Englewood, Englewood, N.J.
  • Public Health Partnership Award Luncheon, Hyde Park, N.Y.
  • Steps to a Healthier Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio
  • A Walk in the Park, Brookline, Mass.
  • Physical Activity and the Built Environment, Atlanta, Ga.
  • Infant Mortality Campaign, Milwaukee, Wi.

Other events may be accessed at www.nphw.org/calendar/. There is also a list of government agencies, disease organizations, health organizations and other resources available at www.nphw.org/06-resources.htm.


National Public Health Week in the News:

Kaiser Family Foundation Webcast of NPHW Capitol Hill Kickoff Event

The Nation's Health series on NPHW, "Built Environment Adding to Burden of Childhood Obesity"


Take Action Today!

Wednesday: Surrounding Our Kids with Physical Activity

Senator Obama and Congresswoman Solis introduce The Healthy Places Act of 2006APHA has worked with Senator Obama's staff on the introduction of the Healthy Places Act of 2006, which takes a broad look at built environment and health issues by bringing together all levels of government to these issues by: (1) establishing and supporting health impact assessment programs to proactively examine the potential health effects of major policy or programmatic changes, (2) creating a grant program to assist states and local communities to address environmental health hazards, particularly those that contribute to health disparities and (3) accelerating research on the relationship between the environment and health.   Please join us in supporting this very important bill to improve the health of our communities and children.   Tell your legislators to cosponsor this bill by taking action at http://www.capwiz.com/apha/issues/alert/?alertid=8638786&type=CO

Other Important Federal Polices: Support urban parks, recreation and open space by fully funding the Urban Parks and Recreation Recovery Program, which provides matching grants and technical assistance to economically distressed urban communities for rehabilitation of critically needed recreation facilities. The law also encourages systematic local planning and commitment to continuing operation and maintenance of recreation programs, sites, and facilities.

Take Action: Contact your members of Congress.

Support Senator John Cornyn's (R-TX) and Representative Zach Wamp's (R-TN) S.1276/H.R.4359 bill, which amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to include physical education as a required subject for which states must have academic content and achievement standards for all students.

Take Action: Contact your members of Congress.

Support S.1325, Senator Bill Frist's (R-TN) Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act, which establishes a grant program to provide incentives for improved nutrition, increased physical activity, obesity and eating disorder prevention.

Take Action: Contact your Senators.

Resources Physical Activity and Obesity:

Don't Forget to Submit Your NPHW Events to The Nation's Health for the June/July IssueAs you hold your celebrations for National Public Health Week this month, be sure to keep The Nation's Health in mind.  An upcoming issue of the newspaper will feature coverage of National Public Health Week events that were held across the country, and your activities could be among them. After your event is over, send us a short summary of your activity, when it was held, who was involved, what the goals were and what was accomplished.  Learn how to submit at event at http://www.apha.org/tnh/about/nphw06.cfm

During National Public Health Week 2006, the American Public Health Association (APHA) is focusing on a "Designing Healthy Communities: Raising Healthy Kids" campaign. The campaign focuses on helping communities assess the current status of the built environment, determine the impact it has on children's health and identify areas for improvement. NPHW will showcase communities throughout the week that have implemented solutions to address challenges in their built environment.APHA would especially like to thank our sponsors who helped make this week possible.

APHA would especially like to thank our sponsors who helped make this week possible.