Obesity Discussion Forums

[Obesity Discussion]

Eat Smart. Get Active. Be Healthy


The Epidemic
56% of Arizona adults are overweight or obese. (CDC BRFSS, 2002)
19% of non-Hispanic white adults, 31% of non-Hispanic black adults, and 20% of Hispanic adults in Arizona are obese. (CDC BRFSS, 2002)
24% of low-income children between 2 and 5 years of age in Arizona are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. (CDC PedNSS, 2002) \
24% of Arizona high school students are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. (CDC YRBSS, 2003)
The obesity rate among Arizona adults increased by 80% from 1990 to 2002. (CDC BRFSS, 1990, 2002)

Program Priorities
Arizona is focusing on the development of a comprehensive state plan for reducing the number of Arizona residents of all ages who are overweight or obese through improved nutrition and increased physical activity. Project goals include

Identifing and recruiting partners to collaborate in state plan development and implementation.
Evaluating the extent and scope of existing services related to nutrition, physical activity, and obesity and identifying gaps that must be addressed.
Creating an inventory of key partners and relevant issues related to policy development.
Developing training and technical assistance plans for program staff and partners.
Working closely with the Arizona Steps Along the Border Initiative (SABI) to promote better health and prevent disease in border communities.

Partners
American Academy of Family Physicians/Arizona
American Academy of Pediatrics/Arizona
American Cancer Society
American Dietetic Association
American Heart Association
Arizona Department of Education
Arizona Department of Health Services Internal Partners Programs — Cardiovascular Risk Reduction, Diabetes Prevention, Maternal Child Health, Community Nutrition, P.L.A.Y. and WIC
Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System
Arizona Nutrition Network
Arizona Physicians/IPA, Inc.
Arizona Public Health Association
Arizona State University Departments of Nutrition and Exercise Science/Wellness
City of Mesa
Community Nutrition Program
5 A Day Program
Healthy Arizona 2010
Indian Health Service
Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona
Kronos Optimal Health Company
Mariposa Community Health Center
Maternal, Child Health, and Nutrition Program
Navajo Health Care
Phoenix Suns
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Services
Recent Accomplishments and Products
Issued the Call to Action: Healthy Weight for Children and their Families at a kick-off conference that was cosponsored by the governor’s office and attended by 350 people.
Identified individuals representing partners and others to serve on work groups that will help develop the state plan. Work groups will focus on families, community health, work sites , health care, policy/environment, and schools.
Provided expert advice to the Arizona Action for Healthy Kids' Nutrition Policy Committee.

Upcoming Events and Products
A meeting with environmental planners and architects from Arizona State University, the City of Phoenix, and Maricopa County will cover environmental/policy change and encourage zoning/planning commissions to think about the impact on the public's health before creating new structures in communities.
Eight community forums will be held to solicit input from members of the community regarding the state plan.
Project Period: 2003-2008
Year First Funded: 2003
Funding Stage: Capacity Building
Contact Person:
Renae Cunnien, PhD
Program Coordinator
Arizona Department of Health Services
Telephone: 602-364-3315
Fax: 602-542-1890
E-mail: cunnier@hs.state.az.us


Data Sources
CDC BRFSS CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
CDC PedNSS CDC's Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System
CDC YRBSS CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obes...ms/arizona.htm

[Obesity Discussion]

YMCA tries to knock out obesity in preteens

Lisa Nicita
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 13, 2006 12:00 AM


Becky Mayhew stood in the hallway of the Copper Basin YMCA on Tuesday and watched two of her children huff and puff through leg lifts and jumping jacks on miniature hydraulic machines designed just for their tiny bodies. The two boys were sweating when the class ended.

Reese Mayhew, 7, liked the machine "where you spread your legs" best. Skye Mayhew, 6, liked to pump his biceps up on "the arm machine."

"My kids are always up for exercise," Mayhew said. "I'm a firm believer kids don't get enough exercise."

Mayhew's boys were two of about a dozen kids who were participating in the Y's preteen fitness program designed for children as young as 5 and up to 13. The preteen fitness program began as a pilot program in Mesa more than a year ago, but has proven successful enough that every branch in the Valley is stocked with pint-size equipment, including the Chandler/Gilbert location.

Mike Snitz, marketing director for Valley of the Sun YMCA, said the program gets kids interested in fitness. He said the Y is looking to outfit all the Valley branches with updated equipment in the coming months.

"We're going to be focusing even more on getting kids active at a younger age and tackling the childhood obesity issue," Snitz said.

And kids seem to like it.

Tony Lehn, healthy lifestyle director at Copper Basin, said the class was introduced at his branch about two months ago. It began with just three kids and, with summer here, has grown in popularity, averaging about 12 kids for each of the two sessions during the week.

To a backdrop of pop music pumping from a boom box on the floor, the kids shuttled from station to station, spending about 30 seconds at each machine with about five seconds' rest in between. The half-hour class ended with a five-minute stretch.

The machines offer hydraulic resistance, so no weights are involved. But the program does introduce the kids to the benefits of using machines, making them more comfortable with the idea when they transition into the adult gym, Snitz said.

Jonathan Lehn, 7, said after the class that he was wiped out.

"Now, I'm tired and I have baseball," he said.

Angela Palmer, 12, said she liked the class. Palmer said she exercises only when she has to. But she said this class made it fun.

"It was hard and then it got really easy," Palmer said. "I'll probably try it again. It's entertaining."

Article

[Obesity Discussion]

10,000 steps a start to keeping kids fit, healthy

Ofelia Madrid
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 26, 2006 12:00 AM

Walk 10,000 steps a day. The recommended number of daily steps to keep fit doesn't change for children.

It's a challenge that will take place in hundreds of classrooms across Arizona.

"The classroom environment is a wonderful way to stimulate children," said Gary Smethers, chief medical officer for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona which sponsors the Walk On! program. It is designed to encourage students to exercise. advertisement





"What we're hoping is that the students will become more active," Smethers said. "The easiest way is to do more walking."

The 2007 challenge has Arizona students using a pedometer to measure their steps throughout February, making them eligible to win an iPod nano.

The Walk On! program is just one way schools across the nation are educating their students on how to keep fit and eat healthy.

At Scottsdale's Zuni Elementary School, pupils are setting personal fitness goals and learning about nutrition.

In the spring, the students will participate in Operation Tone Up, a program that promotes the benefits of focusing on both nutrition and exercise. The final event allows the pupils to participate in a fitness challenge, which includes running one mile, jumping jacks, push-ups and sit-ups.

Still others schools are using the Internet to educate students about health with such Web sites as learntobehealthy.org.

The site, designed for pupils in kindergarten to sixth grade, provides interactive animated activities. Parents can log on as educators and work the different prevention activities with their children.

"The goal is to educate and inspire people of all ages to make healthy choices," said Heather Pizzo, e-learning instructional design coordinator for the Pennsylvania-based Susan P. Byrnes Health Education Center.

10,000 steps Obesity program

[Obesity Discussion]

More 10,000 steps stuff:




Kids walk to battle obesity


Josh Kelley
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 24, 2007 06:00 PM

If you come across fifth-graders in Mesa next month, odds are good they'll be walking, running or doing whatever they can to bump up the count on their new pedometers.

Across Mesa Public Schools, 6,500 fifth-graders are being challenged to take 10,000 steps a day, the equivalent of roughly five miles, as part of the Walk On challenge to get in shape during February and adopt a lifestyle that combats obesity.

More than 425 schools statewide have signed on for the program, sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, which is providing free tool kits, including pedometers, to 33,000 fifth-graders registered so far. advertisementOAS_AD('ArticleFlex_1') on error resume next MM_FlashCanPlay = ( IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFla sh." & MM_contentVersion)))

On Wednesday, corporate executives and school officials kicked off the Walk On challenge at Guerrero Elementary in west Mesa, where dozens of fifth-graders walked around the school's soccer field with light blue pedometers attached to their hips.

First, the students received pep talks from schools Superintendent Debra Duval, Mayor Keno Hawker and Guerrero Principal Cort Monroe.

"The important thing about this is we become active and you get into the habit of incorporating this into your day," Monroe said. "We want to encourage you to walk more, not just in February but for your entire lives so you become more healthy."

The principal used his 84-year-old grandmother as an example of someone who adopted a healthy lifestyle.

For her entire married life, Monroe said, his grandmother has gotten up at 5:30 a.m. and walked every day.

To encourage fifth-graders to do the same, students who walk 10,000 steps every day in February will be registered to win one of 10 iPod nanos, a prize that excited Guerrero students. The school with the most students who qualify will receive a $2,500 grant to pay for a fitness-related field trip.

Dr. Gary Smethers, chief medical officer for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, said the Walk On challenge will help combat the prevalence of childhood obesity that has reached epidemic proportions.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Smethers said, has found that one in three elementary-age students is obese or on the verge of reaching that point.

"As we become older, the . . . problems associated with that don't go away," Smethers said. "They get worse."

Particularly concerning is a rise in type 2 diabetes, a disease traditionally associated with old age.

"Now it's becoming a disease of children, and it's directly related to obesity," Smethers said.

On average, people walk from to 2 to 2 1/2 miles per day, he said. If students take 10,000 steps, they'll roughly double that average and burn around 500 calories in the process. Smethers said.

The challenge is focused on fifth-graders, but any class with students in grades K-8 can receive free tool kits and encourage students to walk.


Childhood Obesity