News & Events

Draft 2 available for review, comments

The launch of the first National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) for the U.S. is set for May 3^rd, and we are very excited about the momentum already gathering for that event. Before that can happen however, we need your input to finalize the NPAP document.

VIEW NPAP DRAFT 2 INFORMATION

Statements linking National Physical Activity Plan to other major initiatives

The U.S. National Physical Activity Plan is a private-public sector collaborative, engaging hundreds of organizations dedicated to changing our communities in ways that will enable every American to be sufficiently physically active. The National Plan aims to create a culture that supports physically active lifestyles for the ultimate purposes of improving health, preventing disease and disability, and enhancing quality of life. The National Physical Activity Plan aligns with relevant initiatives across the United States. Specifically:

• The National Physical Activity Plan is a proud strategic partner with First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign. Implementation of the Plan will increase physical activity in the U.S. population and will thereby reduce the prevalence of obesity and its co-morbidities as well as enhance the health of people of all shapes and sizes. As such, the Plan is closely aligned with the goals of Let’s Move.

• The National Physical Activity Plan complements the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2008). The Guidelines provide scientifically founded recommendations regarding the types and amounts of physical activity needed for health benefits including prevention of diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, functional disability and depression. The National Plan presents a framework for the changes that our society must make to enable all Americans to meet the Physical Activity Guidelines.

• The National Physical Activity Plan supports Healthy People 2020. The National Plan was developed in close communication with the team that developed the physical activity objectives in HP2020. Implementation of the National Plan will directly support attainment of those objectives by providing a comprehensive set of policies, practices and initiatives aimed at supporting physically active lifestyles.

• The National Physical Activity Plan is complementary to and consistent with the U.S. Task Force Guide to Community Preventive Services recommendations for increasing physical activity in communities. The Community Guide includes evidence-based community interventions targeted at increasing physical activity for all Americans. The National Plan reinforces the importance of environmental and policy strategies and endorses evidence-based interventions such as those included in the Community Guide.

American Dietetic Association joins National Physical Activity Plan

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) has joined the National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) as an Organizational Partner to support the continued development of the Plan. “The American Dietetic Association is pleased to become an Organizational Partner of NPAP, and to join the Plan’s Coordinating Committee,” said registered dietitian and ADA President Jessie M. Pavlinac. “Quality health care, food and nutrition, and physical activity are vital to optimizing the nation’s health, and ADA looks forward to joining with NPAP to make a real impact – getting Americans moving, eating right and staying healthy.”

The American Dietetic Association was founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1917 by a visionary group of women dedicated to helping the government conserve food and improve the public’s health and nutrition during World War I. Now headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, ADA has become the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, and is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org.

Russell Pate, Chair of the National Plan’s Coordinating Committee, said, “We are thrilled to have ADA on board with the Plan. ADA’s influence, both nationally and locally, will be a tremendous asset to the ongoing development and upcoming launch of the Plan.”

National Physical Activity Plan Launch Day event toolkit, new details released

On May 3, 2010, the National Physical Activity Plan will officially kick off in Washington, DC. New details about the time and location of events, along with downloadable documents to encourage and promote local launch events are now available.

VIEW LAUNCH INFORMATION

Michelle Obama announces initiative to combat overweight and obesity in the U.S.

First Lady Michelle Obama has joined forces with Surgeon General Regina Benjamin and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to promote healthy choices and reduce overweight and obesity in children and adults. “The surge in obesity in this country is nothing short of a public health crisis that is threatening our children, our families, and our future,” said First Lady Obama.  On January 28, the HHS released The Surgeon General’s Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation.  The First Lady added, “this paper is an incredibly important step in directing the Nation’s attention to solving the obesity epidemic and we do not have a moment to waste.” For more information on the press release and to view The Surgeon General’s Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov.

United States Surgeon General receives briefing on the National Physical Activity Plan

The National Physical Activity Plan continues to build momentum and garner attention from national leadership in Public Health. On January 26th, Russell Pate (left), Chair of the NPAP Coordinating Committee from the University of South Carolina, and Jim Whitehead (right), NPAP Coordinating Committee member from the American College of Sports Medicine, met with the new U.S. Surgeon General, Regina Benjamin (center), M.D., M.B.A., to brief her on the NPAP. Dr. Benjamin expressed her appreciation for the Coordinating Committee’s work on the Plan.

Dr. Benjamin received her MD degree from the University of Alabama, Birmingham; her MBA from Tulane University, and holds five Honorary Doctorates. She is Founder and Former CEO of the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic in Alabama, past President of the Medical Association State of Alabama, and immediate Past Chair of the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States. Dr. Benjamin is a member of the National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Among her many acknowledgements, Dr. Benjamin was the recipient of the 1998 Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights and the 2000 National Caring Award.

Launch for National Physical Activity Plan set for May 3, 2010 in Washington, DC

On May 3, 2010, the National Physical Activity Plan will kick off with launch events in Washington, DC, and across the country. Launch events will include a news conference for national media to be held at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, congressional meetings, and local launch events across the US. Check back soon for more launch information as it becomes available.