One of the top five priorities of the Bexar County Community Health Improvement Plan is to promote Healthy Eating and Active Living. Increasing the availability of healthier food options, meeting with county officials to promote strategies in the Active Living Plan, promoting the adoption of Safe Routes to School programs, and promoting policies to support infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, are all examples of policy recommendations featured in the plan. This plan was organized by the Bexar County Community Health Collaborative and the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District in an effort to serve as a framework for creating a healthier county. Recommendations for partnerships, and ways to take on an active role, to improve the health of the community are also ...
The Brownsville Commission and planning department are working with the National Park Service and city partners to develop a Hike and Bike Master plan. The goal of this initiative is to create a more pedestrian and bike friendly environment for the city. Brownsville is also working to create an extension of an existing trail that would connect three historic battlefields. Community members are invited to participate in the development of the Hike and Bike Master plan by sharing their ideas, before the final draft of the plan is completed. Read "City rolls out conceptual master hike & bike plan for trails" for more ...
The Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) program is a school based physical activity and nutrition program that promotes healthy food choices among children. After CATCH was implemented at schools in El Paso and Austin, Texas the program demonstrated that it had the potential to lower obesity in children. Recently, CATCH was recognized by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for advancing policies and environmental strategies to control obesity. It has been adopted by schools in all fifty states and now offers early childhood and after school programs. The success of evidence based programs such as CATCH suggest that policies to improve physical activity standards for children, could have the potential to significantly reduce and prevent childhood ...
Students in Modesto, are learning how to live healthy lifestyles thanks to an integrated approach being used in afterschool programs, by the Modesto school district. The integrated model used by the district includes: shared use agreements with community partners, the development of community gardens, and participation in afterschool programs such as the (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids) SPARK program. In Modesto, school district administrator John Ervin III, is not only encouraging the implementation of healthy policies in schools, but also a taking a step further to be a positive role model to youth. While Ervin served as an afterschool programs coordinator he gave over 1,800 children the opportunity to participate in SPARK--a curriculum that engages children in ...
Community members living in Tulare County are now able to enjoy activities on school grounds thanks to a shared use agreement at Pixley elementary. Inititally, school officials at Pixley were concerned about liability issues that could arise through enacting a joint-use agreement. After meeting with risk management experts and local residents, the school principal at Pixley elementary School realized that the school was well protected against potential liability lawsuits, and decided to enter into a shared use agreement with the community. Now children, and parents can all benefit from healthier lifestyles, thanks to the recreational facilities they have access to at Pixley elementary. Parent volunteers leading a local ballet folklorico dance group for children found support for their ...
San Francisco is one of 10 cities in the U.S. launching a Play Streets Program. The Play Streets
initiative is a more neighboorhood oriented version of Sunday Streets, a series of events that temporarily shuts down roads to vehicular traffic, in order to promote walking and cycling activities.
The "Play Streets for All" initiative, a collaboration between the SF Municipal Transportation Agency, Livable City, and public health organizations, will target neighborhoods in San Francisco, CA that suffer from the high rates of childhood obesity. In 2012, San Francisco hosted a total of 10 Sunday Street events. The Sunday Streets website provides information about the free events that provide an opportunity for San Francisco residents to be ...
In December of 2012, the U.S. Surgeon General announced a call to action for walking.
Walking is an activity that is a feasible and affordable means of physical activity for most individuals. However, for many Latinos access to safe places for walking and recreation remains a challenge.
The CDC is going to produce a Surgeon General’s report that is “a call to action on walking.” This will be accompanied by a national campaign for walking.
“We want to lend the voice of the Office of the Surgeon General to this particular physical activity,” said Dr. Regina Benjamin. “It’s easy to do, anyone can do it and it’s fun.” America Walks is a national coalition that seeks to mobilize individuals, organizations and businesses to increase walking and walkability in America. By ...
Hispanic and Asian children living in the San Antonio community of East Oakland lacked access to outdoor spaces for recreation. This prompted David Kakishiba of the Oakland-based East Bay Asian Youth Center (EBAYC), to coordinate a Schoolyard initiative with the Oakland Unified School district. The Schoolyard initiative would provide a unique and dynamic environment for school children to learn and engage in physical activity. Parents, students, and teachers participated in a series of three community design workshop meetings, to provide input as to what the schoolyard should look like. Of the two top strategies for creating a healthy schoolyard, Kakishiba recommends working closely with the school district’s facilities department, and developing and following through on a ...
California state Senator Bill Monning (D- Carmel) has reintroduced a soda tax bill that has failed once before. S.B. 622 would impose a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar sweetened beverages in California. The money raised would go toward health and education programs aimed at reducing childhood obesity. Poll shows that more than half of Californians would support a soda tax if the money was used to improve school nutrition and physical education. Check out some frequently asked questions about CA's sugary beverage tax. Follow the ...
