The Wake County School Health Advisory Council of North Carolina is proposing that schools eliminate junk food or unhealthy options from school fundraisers, including the sales at sporting events. They believe that by cutting junk food and candy sales, they can help increase the healthy options at all school affiliated events. However the policy remains very controversial and is not being supported by all staff or coaches. The amount of profit brought in each year from the sales at their sporting events make up a major component of the booster club's annual budget. Those who do no support the change do recognize the health benefits for students and the community, but do not believe that they will make enough money to support their athletes if this policy goes into affect. In the ...
According to this blog from La Union Union Del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), Colonia residents in Hidalgo County are working with LUPE to find assistance for the development of safe walking trails and parks for their children. Children living in colonias---small, impoverished settlements between the US-Mexican border---often lack clean and safe areas to play due to a lack of proper waste collection and street lighting in their neighborhoods. Often parents would rather keep their children indoors than have them end up playing near fields filled with waste. According to various blog entries posted by LUPE, in 2011 colonia residents were working with local officials to see what kind of improvements could be brought their ...
Residents of the Chamizal neighborhood in El Paso, Texas can now enjoy safer roads thanks to the Vulnerable Road User Ordinance. In 2010, while serving as a city council member for El Paso, Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas), introduced the Vulnerable Road User Ordinance. This policy requires vehicles to switch lanes if a pedestrian or cyclist is traveling in the same lane. This news article describes how the Vulnerable Road User Ordinance was passed on Dec. 7, 2010 and how it aims to protect people, other than motorists, who use public roadways. Those who fail to comply will now face a $500 fine for violating the Vulnerable Road User Ordinance (No. 017466). Learn more by viewing this fact sheet. This KTSM news report announces that the Vulnerable road user ordinance has gone into ...
Beginning in January 2013, volunteers will guide children who live within a one mile radius to schools through a walking school bus program in Marana County, AZ. According to a news article from the Arizona Daily Star, three schools belonging to the Marana Unified School District in Marana, Arizona, will participate in this program thanks to a $4.5 million grant provided to 27 Safe Routes to School projects by the Arizona Transportation Board. A walking school bus program promotes physical activity in children before and after school, helps reduce traffic congestion, The first school in the Marana Unified School District to start a walking school bus program was Estes elementary school. In December of 2012, 75 students from this school walked to school. View the registration ...
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, introduced a bill that outlines critical public health and prevention initiatives to fight chronic disease, encourage healthier schools, communities and workplaces, and improve physical activity opportunities for individuals with disabilities. The Healthier Lifestyles and Prevention America (HeLP America) Act includes wellness provisions in a broad range of areas, including expanded access to fresh fruits and vegetables for all low-income elementary schools, tax incentives for businesses that offer comprehensive workplace wellness programs to their employees, improved physical activity and athletic opportunities for individuals with disabilities, and greater oversight with regard ...
In Austin, Texas principle investigator Harold “Bill” Kohl, a joint faculty member at the University of Texas in Austin and the University of Texas School of Public Health, is investigating how community design can boost one's fitness and encourage participation in physical activity. The Mueller Neighborhood which was designed to promote green living has wide sidewalks and many trees, which may encourage residents to walk and bike more. Results from Dr. Kohl's study will serve to create policy recommendations for developing active living communities across the nation. In this blog, researcher Bill Kohl explains the importance of creating environments that are conducive to physical activity. Dr. Kohl is currently investigating how community design can encourage physical ...
The Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do It! (MEND) Program offered through the YMCA in Austin, is a free 10 week program offered to children ages 7-13 and their families. MEND is a non-profit organization located in New York, which aims to develop behavioral changes for overweight and obese children. The MEND program is funded through grants from St. David's Foundation, and through annual Partner of Youth campaign donations. Elementary school locations in the Austin area including Galindo, Langford, Popham, Pillow, Sanchez, Science Hall (Hays County), and UT elementary, will host the MEND program beginning January 12, 2013. Families who complete the program will be eligible for a free 3-month membership at the YMCA of Austin. Read about the physical activity components developed by ...
The organizers behind Transit to Trails recognize that although few people of color visit national forests and other green spaces in Southern California, it does not mean that they do not value parks and green space. Cities that have fewer parks or wilderness areas have higher levels of childhood obesity. That's why Transit to Trails takes inner city youth and their families and friends on fun mountain, beach, and Los Angeles River hiking and biking trips. The project enriches their education about water, land, wildlife, and cultural history, and teaches the importance of physical activity and healthy eating for life-long health. Transit to Trails aims to diversify access to parks and support for green space. Although Latino children in Southern California are less likely to visit ...
Through the Healthy Place Initiative efforts to improve green space, and provide opportunities for out-of-school play time have been successful. The Healthy Place Initiative in Chicago is a $5.8 million project funded by the CDC and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative (CPPW). Healthy Places focuses on four target areas including: food access, safe walking and biking, breastfeeding support, and school environments. There are many ways to get involved in efforts to make Chicago a healthier place to live. Resources This presentation from the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago (CLOCC), provides information on ways to improve Chicago's outdoor spaces. This interactive mapping tool will help you share your thoughts about ...
