|
The Link Between Local Food Environments and Obesity and Diabetes
Policy Link, the California Center for Public Health Advocacy and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research released a study, Designed for Disease: The Link Between LocalFood Environments and Obesity and Diabetes, that examines the relationships between retail food environments, obesity and diabetes, and community income. The study demonstrates that the prevalence of obesity and Diabetes is significantly higher for people who live near an abundance of fast food restaurants and convenience stores, when compared to those that have more grocery stores and fresh produce vendors.
|
|
Fit Quote of the Month!
A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.
-Spanish Proverb
|
Funding Opportunities
To Support Active Communities
Active Living Research is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) that supports research to identify promising policy and environmental strategies
for increasing physical activity,
decreasing sedentary behaviors
and preventing obesity among
children and adolescents. Grants
funded under this call for proposals
(CFP) are expected to advance
RWJF's efforts to reverse the
childhood obesity epidemic by 2015. This funding opportunity is for New Connections grants awarded through the Active Living Research program.
For more details and how to apply:
http://www.rwjf.org/applications/
solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=20402
| |
|
|
|
Please take notice of the upcoming events throughout the New York City region. These events will be used to promote the use of urban spaces to parents and their children, creating a more active and healthier community.
Meanwhile, The National Association of Counties recently announced the release of the Healthy Counties Database, a new resource containing more than 100 profiles of model policies, programs and initiatives that counties nationwide enacted to prevent childhood obesity.
|
|
|
ACTION TEAM NEWS
Stair Prompts Available - Place Your Orders!
The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is working to promote stair use in buildings http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/pr2008/pr033-08.shtml. It has been estimated that two minutes of additional stair climbing per day would burn an extra 5800 kcal or 1.6 pounds per year, enough to level off the average weight gain of 1 pound per year in U.S. adults (~2/3 of whom are already overweight or obese). Using the stairs instead of the elevator is also a great way to go green as you're using your own power rather than electricity!
We would like to provide you with stair prompts (signs) you can post by elevators, escalators, and stairs to tell people about the health benefits of stair use and to encourage regular stair use. Placement of signs at the point of decision has been shown in studies to increase stair use by 54%. (See http://www.thecommunityguide.org/pa/pa-int-decision-prompts.pdf). We encourage you to order plastic stair prompts in either 11" x 14" or 8 ½" x 11"sizes to post near your elevators, escalators and stairs. We also have a laminated poster in two sizes (11" x 17" or 8 ½" x 11") that you can use to reinforce the message elsewhere. Please call 311 to request free stair prompts for your building, and help prevent weight gain in those who visit, work, or live in your building!
New Built Environment Action Team (BEAT) Opportunities
The Built Environment Action Team (BEAT) is working on some new opportunities and would like to invite all food and fitness members to participate as we plan for these activities. We are looking to create small, effective working groups that will link BEAT and Community Coalition work towards action-oriented projects.
Currently the proposed projects focus on the development of new plazas, parks, recreational sites, and using community streets to get individuals within these targeted areas to become more physically active. With the help of the DOT and NYCHA, we expect that these innovations will floursh and improve the current health conditions of health in these New York City communities.
For more information on how you can beacome a team member and be active in these projects, please send an email with the subject "BE projects" to monica@nycfoodandfitness.org |
|
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Summer Streets Program Volunteer Work
As some or all of you know, the DOT's Summer Streets Program started this past Saturday, Aug 9th ( www.nyc.gov/summerstreets) and we wanted to make sure you know about it. We are happy to see this program because it complements what the Food and Fitness Partnership is trying to achieve in terms of making our environment friendly for activity. In addition, we are seeking volunteers to help conduct a physical activity and health related survey on Sat. Aug 16th (rain date Aug 23rd). If you have any graduate level interns, professional staff or others who you think would be appropriate and interested in helping out with intercept interviews for this important program, please forward this information on to them or put them in contact with us before 5 pm Tuesday, Aug. 12..
NYC Plaza Program
The NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) has just announced their new Public Plaza Program. Through this new initiative, NYC DOT will work with community partners to create neighborhood plazas throughout the City by transforming underused streets into vibrant, social public spaces. DOT is currently seeking applications from eligible community non-profit groups who would like to work with DOT on a public plaza for their neighborhood. Applications are due Tuesday,August 19th by 6PM. Sites that are in neighborhoods that lack open space will be prioritized. The City is also looking to partner with community groups that commit to manage these spaces.
More information and application instructions are available at: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/sidewalks/publicplaza.shtml |
|
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Randall's Island Sports Foundation provides a free Randall's Island Kids summer day camp for 6 weeks to 1200 children, age 6-12, from 25 Harlem and South Bronx community-based organizations. All activities are at Randall's Island and include sports instruction in lacrosse, track & field, tennis, soccer, volleyball, golf, baseball, kickball, frisbee, dance fitness, rope-climbing, as well as drumming and nature. Sprinklers cool off the children, and drinking water is provided all day. CBO groups must provide their own transportation to the Island. For info for next summer, email
sabina.ellentuck@parks.nyc.gov
Here are a few pictures from this years kids summer day camp.
|
|
UPCOMING EVENTS
Every Wednesday Begining July 9-August 14. (11am-3pm)
Learn It, Grow It, Eat It: Bronx Teens operate weekly urban farm stand.
The McKinley Triangle at the intersection of Boston Road and East 169th street in the Bronx will have more traffic than usual this summer as 15 local youth come together to run a farm stand there every Wednesday from 11am-3pm, July 9 through August 14. These youth, participants of Council on the Environment of New York City's two year old "Learn It, Grow It, Eat It" (LGE) program, are dedicating their summer to maintaining two community gardens in the South Bronx, and educating themselves and their community about the importance of eating healthy.
Summer Session: July 7 - August 22
Citywide SUNY Summer Schedule for the Free Fitness Program for the Family.
Looking to stay active during the summer and spend quality time with
the family? Shape Up New York, is offering free fitness programs for
the entire famliy through out locations in Brooklyn, Bronx, and Manhattan.For more information on time and locations of upcomming events, go to:
Sat, Sept 6 & Sun, Sept 7 (noon-5pm)
Punk Rope at the Howl Festival
This 2-day festival pays tribute to the independent spirit of the East
Village and takes place in Tompkins Square Park (from 7th St to 10th St and from Ave A to B). On both days, Punk Rope will be offering free rope jumping lessons and leading games for kids and adults. Admission to the festival is free. Food vendors and other activities will be available. For moreinformation about Punk Rope, visit www.punkrope.com
September 9, 2008
Let Us Eat Local
A Delicious Celebration to Benefit Just Food.
Taste fresh, fabulous cuisine prepared with locally grown ingredients by celebrity chefs, while sampling wines, beer and spirits from featured Long Island vineyards and local brewers and distilleries. While relaxing at picnic tables at New York City's Water Taxi Beach, enjoy the sounds of Adrienne Young, an American folk musician. The Inaugural McKinley Hightower Beyah Awards will recognize the achievements of growers and leaders who have made outstanding contributions to the movement. For more info and tickets, visit www.justfood.org.
|
|
|
|
|
