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| The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and HHS have joined forces to improve the health of the nation through the HealthierUS Veterans initiative. The focus of this joint initiative is to educate veterans, their families, and communities about the health risks of obesity and diabetes. One portion of the program is MOVE! (Managing Obesity/Overweight for Veteran’s Everywhere). MOVE! is an interactive on-line program, which asks a series of questions related to physical activity, nutrition, and health; it provides veterans and their family members with a customized report that includes health information and instructions for future follow-up at VA medical centers. |
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Office on Women’s Health
The “Body Works Toolkit for Obesity Prevention in Girls and their Families” consists of 9 sessions for parents/caregivers that focus on action steps and provide information on ways to change how the family eats, shops, cooks and moves in an effort to help families improve their lifestyles and prevent overweight and obesity. The kit contains a video on healthy shopping and cooking, a recipe book, weekly meal planner, and food and fitness journals as well as magazine-like books with information and action steps for the parent/caregiver and for the daughter.
Based on a train the trainer model, the ideal organizations to use Body Works are:
Community-based organizations
State health agencies
Non-profit organizations
Social service organizations
Health clinics and hospitals and other health systems
Schools
Parent and teacher organizations
For those interested in training to be a BodyWorks toolkit facilitator, e-mail bodyworks@hagersharp.com |
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| The Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT) is an assessment tool developed by the Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) and physical education experts from across the country. The PECAT helps school districts to conduct a clear, complete, and consistent analysis of written physical education curricula (grades K-12), for the delivery of high-quality physical education in schools and is based on the National Standards for Physical Education published by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education.
In addition, CDC-DASH released the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System MMWR Surveillance Summary and the 2005 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey data. The Surveillance Summary, new fact sheets, National Youth Risk Behavior Survey data files, and technical documentation are available. The YRBSS monitors six categories of priority health-risk behaviors among high school students including physical activity and unhealthy dietary behaviors.
The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System monitors among high school students six categories of priority health-risk behaviors - behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence; tobacco use; alcohol and other drug use; sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection; unhealthy dietary behaviors; and physical inactivity - plus overweight and asthma.
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National Institutes of Health/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The National Diabetes Education Program launched It’s Never Too Early to Prevent Diabetes, a campaign to raise awareness about the risk of developing type 2 diabetes for women who have a history of gestational diabetes mellitus and their offspring. Materials are available in English and Spanish (Nunca es Muy Temprano. Para Previnir la Diabetes).
Researchers from the NIH and CDC found that approximately 2.8% of U.S. adults (one-third of those with diabetes) don’t know they have the disease and that up to 95% of diabetes cases are Type 2. The study was published in the June 2006 issue of Diabetes Cares. |
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| Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active! is an interactive after-school program for kids 11-13. The goal of the program is to help children become aware of how media influence them, build skills to make good decisions about nutrition and physical activity, and encourage them to develop healthy behaviors that will last a lifetime.
NIH added three new middle school curriculum supplements to its science and human health series. These free supplements are self-contained teacher's guides to two weeks of lessons that include background information, lesson plans, take-home materials, and a Web-based component. The new titles are aligned with the National Science Education Standards released by the National Academy of Sciences. Of particular interest to the physical activity community is, Looking Good, Feeling Good: From the Inside Out (Exploring Bone, Muscle, and Skin). Seventh and eighth grade students learn about the structures of the musculoskeletal and skin systems, the interactions between these body systems, and the factors that influence their functions.
To request these curriculum supplements or learn more about this series, visit the NIH Office of Science Education Website.
Your Guide to Healthy Sleep provides the latest science-based information about sleep in an easy-to-understand format. The 60-page handbook describes how and why we sleep, and offers tips for getting adequate sleep, such as sticking to a sleep schedule, relaxing before going to bed, and using daylight or bright light to help you adjust to jet lag and shift work schedules. Your Guide to Healthy Sleep can be downloaded free. Printed copies are available for $3.50 through the NHLBI website or from the NHLBI Information Center at P.O. Box 30105, Bethesda, MD 20824-0105, or at 301-592-8573 or 240-629-3255 (TTY).
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| National Center for Education Statistics,
U.S. Department of Education
Calories In, Calories Out: Food and Exercise in Public Elementary Schools, 2005 is the first U.S. Department of Education study to focus on food and exercise in public elementary schools. Highlights:
- 1,198 regular public elementary schools participated (response rate 91%)
- 83-88% of schools reported daily recess across elementary grades with the average number of reported minutes dedicated to recess ranging from 27.8 for first grade to 23.8 for sixth grade
- 7% of first and second grades and 13% of sixth grades report no recess
- 99% of schools reported they schedule physical education for each grade, but only 17-22% provide daily physical education
- At least half of all elementary schools scheduled physical education one or two days each week
- 51% offered school-sponsored before- or after- school activities that emphasize physical activity.
More information including responses to the nutrition portion of the survey can be found at the NCES website. |
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