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Instant Recess: Building a Fit Nation 10 Minutes at a Time
Thursday, October 28, 2010 | 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Pacific

Join us for a discussion of Instant Recess: Building a Fit Nation 10 Minutes at a Time written by Dr. Toni (Antronette) Yancey. This lively and inspiring book blends scientific evidence with Dr. Yancey’s experience as a clinician and her poetry.

Presenters for this webinar will be Dr. Toni Yancey and Dr. Melicia Whitt-Glover.

Hosted by

Pacifica Radio 89.3 FM Host  Joni Eisenberg

Click here to register.

Free Screening for Prostate Cancer

More than 55  million American men are at risk for prostate cancer, and early detection is key.

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May 13: RWJF Center to Prevent Chilhood Obesity Webinar Series 2:00 PM EDT

Duration: 1 hour

JpegThis webinar will discuss some of the current disparities in physical activity levels among children; and provide an overview of the ways in which education policy can contribute to the physical and mental wellbeing of students – promoting healthy eating and physical fitness habits that can last a lifetime.

Dr. Melicia C. Whitt-Glover, PhD, President & CEO, Gramercy Research Group will be one of the presenters.

April 26: RWJF Center Hosts Webinar on National Physical Activity Plan

Please join The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity (RWJF Center) for a special webinar in preparation for the launch of the National Physical Activity Plan and corresponding Instant Recess® breaks.

Increasing Physical Activity in America
Monday, April 26, 2010
2 p.m. Eastern (1 p.m. Central, 11 a.m. Pacific)

Featuring presentations from members of the National Physical Activity Plan’s Coordinating Committee:

  • Russell Pate, Ph.D. — Associate Vice President for Health Sciences in the Office of Research and Health Sciences, Professor in the Department of Exercise Science, and Director of the Children’s Physical Activity Research Group in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina.
  • James F. Sallis, Ph.D. — Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University and Director for Active Living Research
  • Antronette Yancey, MD, MPH — Professor at the UCLA School of Public Health, Co-Director for the UCLA Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Equity, and Member of the Board of Directors for Partnership for a Healthier America.

Moderator:

  • Paula Card-Higginson — Deputy Director, RWJF Center and Associate Director, Arkansas Center for Health Improvement

This special hour-long session will offer specific information on how you can participate in the launch of the National Physical Activity Plan and continue to be involved in its implementation. Speakers will explain the concept of how to make the active choice the easy choice, and discuss opportunities to carry out these practices in schools and worksites.

Numerous events are scheduled to accompany the official launch of the National Physical Activity Plan on Monday, May 3 — including the kick-off of three months of Instant Recess® breaks, which will be broadcast nationally five days a week by radio station WPFW and the National Pacifica Foundation’s stations and affiliates.

Routine “recess” a hit at White House obesity summit

Fri, Apr 9 2010

By JoAnne Allen

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A doctor’s endorsement of frequent recess breaks — and not just for kids — drew an appreciative response from experts meeting at a White House summit on childhood obesity on Friday.

Dozens of child advocates, public policy experts and doctors gathered to brainstorm ideas for first lady Michelle Obama’s campaign to wipe out childhood obesity in a generation.

An interagency task force reviewing U.S. programs and policies on child nutrition and physical activity is due to report to President Barack Obama within the next month.

The summit participants were asked to come up with three to five recommendations for the task force to consider taking to the president.

Healthier foods in corporate cafeterias and linking public transportation to grocery store access were among the early suggestions.

But the audience especially appeared to appreciate a California doctor’s call for a drive to integrate short bursts of physical activity into the regular workplace and school routine.

“We have great meetings with lots of healthy refreshments now, compared to 20 years ago when we would only have unhealthy refreshments, or 30 years ago when people would have been smoking in this room,” said Dr. Toni Yancey of University of California Los Angeles.

“Now we need to not coop people up for hours on end without physical activity,” Yancey continued as laughter erupted from colleagues in the windowless auditorium.

The experts’ advice and guidance would help the task force develop measurable benchmarks for fighting childhood obesity, Michelle Obama said at the start of the session.

The United States spends $150 billion a year to treat obesity-related conditions. The costs are projected to almost double over the next decade and will account for a fifth of overall healthcare spending, White House budget director Peter Orszag said.

Besides direct healthcare costs and lost productivity, Orszag said the magnitude of obesity-associated health risk may not be fully appreciated.

“Having a body mass index in the obesity range is equivalent to aging 20 years in terms of the chronic conditions that you face,” Orszag said. “So, 40 may be the new 30, but if you’re obese, unfortunately, 40′s the new 60.”

(Editing by Eric Walsh)

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