News and information from the National Physical Activity Plan 10/2014

National Physical Activity Plan Congress: 

Accepting Submissions for Poster Presentations

In February 2015, the National Physical Activity Plan Association (NPAPA) will host the first NPAP Congress.  The Congress will bring together hundreds of leaders in public health, education, media and government who will review progress to date and determine priorities for an update to the NPAP, to be released in November 2015.

One important component of the National Physical Activity Plan Congress will be poster presentations highlighting policies, programs, initiatives and research that address elements of the NPAP.  Congress attendees are invited to

submit abstracts summarizing their projects.

The deadline for submission of abstracts is Monday, November 17, 2014.  Abstracts will be peer reviewed and notification of acceptance will be provided by December 15, 2014.

Abstract Requirements:

Abstracts not exceeding 600 words should be submitted in PDF format and should provide title, authorship, and institution.  The following sub-headings should be included: background, purpose, methods, results and conclusion.  Abstracts must be submitted by 8:00 p.m. Eastern on Monday, November 17 to [email protected].

National Physical Activity Plan Congress: 

 Seeks Nominations for Champions Awards Program

In February 2015, the National Physical Activity Plan Association (NPAPA) will host the first NPAP Congress.  The Congress will bring together hundreds of leaders in public health, education, media and government who will review progress to date and determine priorities for an update to the NPAP, to be released in November 2015.

During the Congress, the NPAPA will honor selected individuals and organizations with the NPAP Champions Award, recognizing their outstanding contributions to improving physical activity in the United States.

The NPAP Champions Award program will shine a national spotlight on individuals, organizations, companies, and government agencies that have made a significant commitment to adopt one or more strategies outlined in the NPAP and made progress toward increasing physical activity in their target audience(s).

The NPAPA will select awardees from nominations that meet the selection criteria, which are based on the recommended strategies and tactics of the NPAP. The awardees will be honored at the 2015 NPAP National Congress, February 23-24, 2015. A stipend for travel and lodging will be provided to individual winners and to a representative from organization, company, or governmental agency winners.

To learn more about the NPAPA Champions Awards Program and/or to nominate a deserving individual or organization click here.  Nominations close November 13, 2014.

Call for Public Comment Open! 

Last month the NPAP Alliance announced the call for public comment on the NPAP. To date, we have received feedback from nearly 400 Americans and this number continues to grow as we receive more comments everyday! If you have not done so, we invite you to participate in a brief survey regarding the update and revision of the Plan.

During this revision process The Alliance wants to hear from you:
  • How can we increase American’s physical activity levels?
  • What strategies should be prioritized to increase physical activity?
  • How can we ensure the success of the National Physical Activity Plan?

The Alliance is working hard to update and revise the Plan; however, the American public’s input and suggestions are important in this process. Public comment on the current version of the Plan will be solicited from September 25 – October 31.

Click here to link to the survey and

help shape our nation’s plan to increase physical activity!

National Physical Activity Plan Webinar

Webinar Details: 

Sectors: Business and Industry; Transportation , Land Use, and Community Design

Presenters: David Buchner, Nico Pronk, Mark Fenton

 Register Today!

The National Physical Activity Plan Alliance (NPAPA) invites you to participate in the last of three webinars examining the most effective ways to successfully implement strategies promoting physical activity. This webinar series builds off our previously released Implementing Physical Activity Strategies book released earlier this year from Human Kinetics.

This hour-long webinar will discuss the promotion of physical activity, based upon case studies included in the book Implementing Physical Activity Strategies.  Each case study illustrates high-priority strategies of the NPAP.

About the NPAP book: Implementing Physical Activity Strategies
Through collaborative efforts, the NPAPA and the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity released the Implementing Physical Activity Strategies book. The book is comprised of 42 physical activity programs that are designed to help people adopt more active and healthy lifestyles based on the National Physical Activity Plan. Specifically, the book serves as an excellent resource and highlights innovative and proven physical activity programs across the eight sectors of the Plan.

Surgeon General, ACSM Members Speak 

Prior to U.N. Climate Summit

Last month, the American College of Sports Medicine brought together an extraordinary set of speakers to address the intersection of physical activity, health and the environment on the eve of the U.N.’s Climate Week. The event was co-hosted by ACSM, the Public Health Institute, the Global Climate and Health Alliance and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It focused on the health benefits of climate mitigation and the pathway toward a sustainable and healthy future.

Acting U.S. Surgeon General Boris Lushniak and Dr. Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, led a dynamic program that engaged thought leaders across multiple sectors, including food and agriculture, transportation and community design and energy and air pollution. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Donna Shalala, former secretary of Health and Human Services, were also in attendance.

ACSM Past President Janet Rankin, Ph.D., FACSM also publicly launched the ActivEarth initiative during the event. ActivEarth is a cross-sector initiative focused on making it easier for the population to be physically active through safe and accessible active transportation, while also reaping the cobenefits related to health, the environment and sustainable economies. ActivEarth will bring together a variety of thought leaders and organizations to strategically address and emphasize the critical role of physical activity for planetary health and sustainability. Click here to watch an interview with Janet about the ActivEarth announcement, and visit the ActivEarth website at www.activearth.org.

Visit the event website to learn more about the program, speakers and co-sponsors. A video capturing the entire day’s activities will be available in mid-October and posted on the website.

New Resources Posted:

US Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth

In the six months following the release of the groundbreaking

2014 United States Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth, the NPAPA in collaboration with its organizational partners has produced two resources summarizing the results and implications of the Report Card. Each of these informative products are now available on our website.

Video: 2014 US Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth

The video below summarizes the report card’s outcomes and subsequent call to action. The video features Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Ph.D., FACSM, chair of the U.S. Report Card Research Advisory Committee and associate executive director at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University, and Russell R. Pate, Ph.D., FACSM, chairman of the NPAP Alliance and professor at the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina.

2014 US Report Card on Physical Activity For Children and Youth

Webinar: US Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth

In September 2014, the NPAPA and ACSM hosted a webinar discussing the implications of the Physical Activity Report Card. The webinar featured an in-depth discussion of the implications of the PA Report Card and a question and answer session with Drs. Katzmarzyk and Pate. Audio recording and presentation slides for the webinar are available.

Built Environment and Public Health Clearinghouse Expands

Built Environment & Public Health Clearinghouse (BEPHC) recently announced the expansion of its resources. The BEPHC is intended to be an evolving resource for training at the university and professional levels and a source for relevant news at this critical intersection of health and place.    The following services and resources have been included in the expansion of the BEPHC:   ·   Professional training directs individuals to primers, tools and other online resources to facilitate self-directed learning.
  • Academic training offers a full academic semester or individual modules instruction for planning and public health, architecture and public health, transportation engineering, and health impact assessment, and a database of institutions, faculty and degree programs.
  • Both practitioners and academics will benefit from the expanded interdisciplinary Glossary of Terms.
  • Additional resources address current and emerging design and health issues through informative videos, news and topical conversations.

In 2014, the BEPHC was launched as a resource for community design and public health academic and professional multidisciplinary training and community building. Since its launch, the Clearinghouse has been recognized by the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office  as a go-to resource for training at the university and professional levels, and for relevant news at the critical intersection of health and place.

The expansion of the BEPHC will provide countless resources – many of which will support the implementation of evidence-based strategies and tactics outlined in the NPAP Transportation, Land Use, and Community Design sector.

Further information about the Clearinghouse and related efforts and projects is available through the program website or through the BEPHC Listserv.

Follow us Twitter @NationalPAPlan

for up to date news on physical activity policies and the National Physical Activity Plan.

Upcoming Conferences:

2015 National Physical Activity Plan Congress 

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center,

1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington D.C.

February 23-24, 2015

Register Today!

14th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference  Baltimore, MD

January 29-31, 2015

Moving Active Transportation to Higher Ground: 

Opportunities for Accelerating the Assessment of Health Impacts

Washington D.C.

April 13-14, 2015

62nd Annual American College of Sports Medicine Meeting

San Diego, CA

May 26-30, 2015

Abstract Deadline: November 3, 2014

Oliver Bartzsch is an experienced medical professional with over 15 years of professional experience. With a passion for medicine, fitness, and personal growth, he is always willing to challenge himself to accomplish tasks and especially to provide accurate medical information to people. Oliver is a long-time medical editor for multiple sites. With more than 10 years of medical writing experience, he has completed over 350 projects with both individual and corporate clients.

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