| Perspectives | |
 | | An artist's rendition of a Sesame Street session at the conference about eating healthy colorful veggies. |
Welcome to Perspectives, the new monthly letter from AHA Director Sheree Vodicka.
Last week I was in Washington, D.C. for the Weight of the Nation Conference--perhaps some of you read my Tweets from the conference! And just before that we held the AHA Quarterly Meeting. It was great to see so many of our partners there, as well as new faces.
I wanted to share a few of my thoughts from the presentations at the conference, about the challenges and opportunities, and also I would like to report briefly on the Quarterly Meeting.
Read Sheree's full Perspectives article on the AHA web site. |
| Pedal Your Way Through May | |
 We're in the midst of National Bike Month, and there is no shortage of ways for Wake County residents to celebrate. AHA Director Sheree Vodicka is blogging about bicycling this week to help highlight Bike to Work Week and to show her support for this healthful and green way to get around! Check out her blog on her dry run this past Saturday to map out a route to the AHA office.
Join the Bike to Work Day Leadership Ride on Friday, May 18, at 9:00 a.m. across from the State Legislature building in Raleigh. Triangle cyclists are invited to enjoy a slow-paced 2-mile ride around downtown Raleigh that will promote cycling as a form of transportation. Loaner bikes are available from Raleigh!
On June 1, you're invited to Raleigh Racks Unveiled at 6 pm at the Urban Design Center to see how five winning artistic bike rack designs have transformed into functional pieces of art. Plus check out Raleigh's new Bicycle Benefits Program to reward bicycle-friendly businesses and individuals. Supporting businesses will offer specials and discounts to cyclists who show their bicycle benefits helmet sticker.
Visit Go Triangle for information on other Bike Month activities in the Triangle, including tonight's Ride of Silence in Research Triangle Park. Of course, you don't need an event to enjoy Bike Month...strap on your helmet, grab your water bottle and hit one of the many greenways across Wake County! |
| Tune In Tonight: The Weight of the Nation | 
The Weight of the Nation 4-part documentary premiered on HBO Monday and Tuesday this week, and the first of three films in the children's series, The Great Cafeteria Takeover, debuts tonight, May 16, at 7 p.m. on HBO.
The entire children's series will air this fall during back to school season, and all the films are streaming on HBO Go for anyone who doesn't have HBO access, and the films are available in English and Spanish.
With obesity rates at staggering numbers nationwide and over 43% for children ages 5-11 and over 49% for 12-18 year-olds in Wake County, the films bring much-needed attention to the epidemic and shed some light on addressing the problem. Each film features case studies and interviews with experts and individuals and their families who are struggling with obesity.
Consequences examines the scope of the obesity epidemic and explores the health consequences. Choices offers the "skinny" on fat and what science has shown how about to lose weight, maintain that loss, and prevent weight gain.
The third film, Children in Crisis, profiles how strong forces in our society are causing children to eat too much and move too little, and tackles school lunches and the decline of P.E. classes and school recess. Challenges, the final film in the adult series, examines forces causing the epidemic, such as economics, marketing, inactivity, racial and socioeconomic disparities and more.
Have you tuned in? Share your thought with us on our Facebook page! |
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Local Food: Nourishing Families | |
AHA's Farm It Forward program is about to get underway for 2012! Through this collaborative effort among AHA partners, community supported agriculture (CSA) shares of local food will be donated to a number of families for 6 weeks, and they will participate in a 6-week cooking class. Featuring nutrition and culinary experts, these classes are an important part of the program so that participants learn how to make smart choices in selecting food, how to prepare foods in a healthful way and how to use their entire weekly CSA share, a common problem for many--even those who cook frequently!
 Our farmer partners this year include In Good Heart Farm (formerly Ben's Produce) and the farmers supplying The Produce Box; we thank them and their supporters for the CSA donations!
The cooking classes are being taught by Wake County Cooperative Extension and the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, and class participants come to us from other AHA partners as well. WakeMed's Energize! program, which is designed to help kids ages 6 to 18 reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, teaches young people and their parents how to build lifelong healthy attitudes about food and fitness. A number of families participating in Farm It Forward have previously been in the Energize 12-week classes. Others join the program through WakeMed Faculty Pediatrics and Community Care of Wake and Johnston County.
Learn a bit more about the Farm It Forward pilot from last summer and look for updates on our web site and social media as this year's program moves forward. If you are interested in making a financial donation to support this program, please contact AHA. |
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 AHA fosters and supports community efforts to make healthy eating and physical activity the way of life in Wake County. Simply put, we are working to make the healthy choice the easy choice!
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AHA Partner in the Spotlight:
Natural Learning Initiative | |
 What if children could plant veggies in colorful raised garden planters, play hide-and-seek among grass mazes, and hop along pathways made of tree cookies?
Thanks to the work of the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI), children can play - and learn - in such environments!
Read about the Green Desk and how Shape NC is helping child care centers redesign their outdoor learning areas through the work of this AHA partner! | |
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Sat., May 19:
Food Revolution Day in Cary
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Whole Foods Market of Cary, one of AHA's partners and Local Food Champions, invites you to stand up for real food on Saturday, May 19, for Food Revolution Day and a fun healthy eating celebration!
Celebrate Jamie Oliver's Global Food Revolution Day with a variety of events for the whole family, including kids' tours, stories, composting, eating the rainbow and more.
Check out AHA's web site for details on the free activities! |
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AHA friends and tweets!
Join our social networks for timely updates on AHA news, healthy eating and being active here in Wake County!
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