National Public Health Week: April 2 – 8, 2012

| National Public Health Week |

Our Nation’s health is in poor shape, despite the fact that we spend more money on health care than any other country. Did you know that? Nearly 900,000 people die from deaths that can be prevented each year. For the first time, American children may live shorter lives than their parents. Nearly 1 in 3 children are overweight or obese. An estimated 46.3 million Americans do not have health insurance. This is a trend we need to change for future generations of Americans. Please join us and watch this video by the American Public Health Association and share it with people you care about.

Brain Awareness Week

The Dana Foundation | Brain Awareness Week Campaign.

Brain Awareness Week (BAW) is the global campaign to increase public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain research. Every March, BAW unites the efforts of partner organizations worldwide in a celebration of the brain for people of all ages. Events are limited only by the organizers’ imaginations and include open days at neuroscience labs; exhibitions about the brain; lectures on brain-related topics; displays at libraries and community centers; classroom workshops; and more. Learn more.

The Peaceful Playgrounds Program

The purpose of the Peaceful Playground Program is to introduce children and school staff to the many choices of activities available on playgrounds and field areas. Each playground blueprint is designed to assist with measurements, layout, spacing and game placement, as well as provide an overall picture of the final design outcome of a Peaceful Playground.  Learn more.

Show Your Best Campaign

Olympic.org | Show Your Best to the World.

Everyone’s personal best is worth celebrating, no matter what it is.  Show your best and you could win a trip to the London 2012 Olympic games.

Physical Activity Innovation Competition

ASAP | First Lady Michelle Obama Announces ASAP Innovation Competition.

First Lady Michelle Obama announces the Active Schools Acceleration Project (ASAP) Innovation Competition seeking innovative school programs and technologies that promote quality physical activity for kids.

Let’s Move! Campaign Celebrates Two Years of Progress

letsmove.gov | Two Years of Healthy Changes for Our Nation’s Kids.

Since launching Let’s Move! on February 9, 2010, significant progress has been made to solve the problem of childhood obesity. Parents, businesses, educators, elected officials, members of the military, chefs, physicians, athletes, childcare providers, community and faith leaders and kids themselves have made substantial commitments to improve the health of our nation’s children. Through working together with Let’s Move!,  these groups have provided children with healthier food and greater opportunities for physical activity in schools and communities, helped get families the information they need to make healthier decisions, supported a healthy start in early childhood, and have worked to ensure more people have access to healthy, affordable food.

Partnership for a Healthier America

The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is devoted to working with the private sector to ensure the health of our nation’s youth by solving the childhood obesity crisis. PHA brings together public, private and nonprofit leaders to broker meaningful commitments and develop strategies to end childhood obesity. Most importantly, PHA ensures that commitments made are commitments kept by working with unbiased, third parties to monitor and publicly report on the progress our partners are making to show everyone what can be achieved when we all work together.

Just over a year old and created in conjunction with – but independent from – Let’s Move!, PHA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit that is led by some of the nation’s most respected health and childhood obesity advocates. Supporting our effort is our honorary chair First Lady Michelle Obama, alongside our honorary vice-chairmen The Honorable William H. Frist, MD, and The Honorable Mayor Cory A. Booker of Newark, NJ. Our board of directors also includes nationally recognized business leaders, advocates, health professionals and thought leaders from a variety of backgrounds.

Unique Partnership of Out-of-School-Time Organizations to Help Fight Childhood Obesity

ChildObesity180 | Leading Out-of-School-Time Organizations Unite to Combat Childhood Obesity Epidemic.

ChildObesity180, an alliance of multi-sector national leaders committed to reversing the trend of childhood obesity, announced today a unique partnership of leading out-of-school-time organizations that have united to adopt consistent principles for nutrition and physical activity.

The Healthy Kids Out of School initiative, launched at the Partnership for a Healthier America’s Building a Healthier Future Summit today, is a collaboration between Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of the USA, the National Council of La Raza, the National Council of Youth Sports, the National Urban League, Pop Warner, US Youth Soccer, YMCA of the USA, and the National 4-H Council.

The leaders of these organizations, convened by ChildObesity180, developed universal nutrition and physical activity principles from a broad list of evidenced-based recommendations for combating childhood obesity – marking the first time leaders from these groups have worked together toward a common goal.  Continue reading here.

Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities

Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) whose primary goal is to implement healthy eating and active living policy- and environmental-change initiatives that can support healthier communities for children and families across the United States. Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities places special emphasis on reaching children who are at highest risk for obesity on the basis of race/ethnicity, income and/or geographic location. 

Through the program, RWJF seeks to catalyze and support communities’ efforts to address the root causes of childhood obesity through integrated changes in policies, norms, practices, social supports and the physical environment.

Featured Video: HKHC – Chicago, IL

Join “Walk Across Illinois”

Walk Across Illinois encourages all Illinois residents to walk at least 167 miles – the equivalent of walking from the Mississippi River to Lake Michigan, over the course of a year.

This interactive website allows walkers to track their progress on a virtual 167-mile walk across Illinois.