COAM in Action
President Obama and the U.S. Congress both issued proclamations declaring September 2010 to recognize the first-ever National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. The movement to recognize and act on childhood obesity continues to grow as organizations and initiatives from every sector unite to work toward a healthier society.
Here’s a small sampling of initiatives that are making a difference:
Designed to Move
Physical inactivity has reached epidemic proportions and is growing at an alarming rate. It poses a major threat to the health, happiness and prosperity of individuals, communities and nations. Designed to Move is a call-to-action supported by a community of public, private and civil-sector organizations dedicated to ending the growing epidemic of physical inactivity. Designed to Move is trying to enable and inspire a collective and unified approach to end the growing epidemic of physical inactivity. The vision is of future generations running, jumping, and kicking to reach their greatest potential.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE) joined Nike to validate, refine, and publish the findings and action plan found in the Designed to Move report.
Every Body Walk
Every Body Walk! is a campaign aimed at getting Americans up and moving. Thanks to a great many partner organizations, Every Body Walk! is working to spread the message that walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, really can improve your overall health and prevent disease. EBW provides news and resources on walking, health information, walking maps, how to find walking groups, a personal pledge form to start walking, as well as a place to share stories about individual experiences with walking.
Registration is under way for the inaugural Every Body Walk! 2013 Walking Summit, Oct. 1-3 in Washington, DC. The event will bring together the best and brightest minds on creating walkable communities and promoting the physical, emotional and financial benefits of walking. For information or to register, see www.walkingsummit.org.
100 Citizens: Role Models for the Future
100 Citizens is a program of the City of San Fernando Partnership for Healthy Families that believes ending childhood obesity begins with the family. Families receive advice and guidance to about beginning exercise programs. The strategy is to drive public health awareness and implementation at public parks through participation in programs delivered by students and professionals trained in kinesiology.
Project ACES (All Children Exercise Simultaneously), is signature program of the Youth Fitness Coalition, Inc., created by physical education teacher Len Saunders in 1989 as a method of motivating children to exercise.