Click below to view a list of resources in each of the following areas:
- School Wellness (useful for parents, students, school employees, etc.)
- Employee Wellness (useful for Employers and Human Resources)
- Individual Wellness: Health Eating and Exercise
- Obesity Prevention
CDC: Obesity, diabetes on the rise among Americans
WASHINGTON (Jun. 18) A new survey released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics found that obesity and diabetes rates are at peak levels since the data collection for such conditions began more than 10 years ago. The 2009 National Health Interview Survey, which was based on interviews with 88,129 people, found that the prevalence of obesity in U.S. adults (ages 20 years and older) was 28%. The highest obesity rate was found among adults ages 40 to 59 years. The disparity between men and women was not statistically profound, the survey noted. Similarly, diabetes rates among U.S. adults also rose to 9% in 2009, from 5.1% in 1997. Diabetes also was more prevalent among older adults than younger adults, the survey results showed. More Hispanics and African-Americans were diagnosed with diabetes, compared with whites. Click here to read the full report.
Michelle Obama's Plan to End Childhood Obesity Epidemic Goal: Cut Child Obesity From 20% to 5% by 2030: Daniel J. DeNoon, WebMD Medical News
May 11, 2010 -- Spearheaded by Michelle Obama, a new presidential initiative would reverse the child obesity epidemic. The goal, as set out in a report from the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity, is to reduce childhood obesity from 20% to 5% by 2030. To accomplish this, the plan makes 70 recommendations for early childhood, for parents and caregivers, for school meals and nutrition education, for access to healthy food, and for increasing physical activity . "For the first time, the nation will have goals, benchmarks, and measurable outcomes that will help us tackle the childhood obesity epidemic one child, one family, and one community at a time," Obama says in a news release. Read full article | Download Full Task Force Report
Photo essay: Inaugural "Fit Crawl" off and rolling: Sacramento Press
The following websites offer unique resources and tools to help you engage in obesity prevention in schools.
Active Bodies, Active Minds: Physical Activity and Academic Fact Sheet Achievement Fact Sheet [PDF]
American School Food Service Association (ASFSA) offers a database (keyword searchable) of the body of state school meal/child nutrition legislation.
Network for a Healthy California, a division of the California Department of Public Health, offers information on financial, curricular and material resources for low-income schools and districts.
The California School Boards Association in collaboration with California Project Lean, have developed a comprehensive guide for school district nutrition and activity policy development.
Kids In Sports offers insights into establishing and building institutions in low-income communities focused on the well-being of its residents. KIS can offer a successful model of a volunteer-led after school and weekend program focused on getting/keeping kids active, healthy and fit.
No Junk Food was designed as a resource for those who wish to create a healthier learning environment for our youth. Contains resources for advocacy.
California Project Lean offers resources for teen and adult nutrition education programs and state-wide school district nutrition and fitness policies.
UC Cooperative Extension system has a number of free nutrition education curricula documents available through either your county UC Cooperative Extension office or the state headquarters.
Dairy Council of California provides free nutrition/health education programs and trainings to teachers to use in their classrooms.
The Critical Connection Between Student Health and Academic Achievement: How Schools and Policymakers Can Achieve a Positive Impact [PDF]
Physical Education vs. Physical Activity [PPT]
California Law and Physical Education [PDF]
Food and Beverage Requirements [PPT]
California School Food and Beverage Laws and Education Codes [PDF]
Healthy School Celebrations, Rewards and Fundraising Ideas [PDF]
How Can School Physical Education Make a Difference [PPT]
2010 Shape of the Nation Report: Status of Physical Education in the USA provides state-by-state profile of physical education based on a national survey of physical education coordinators.
Youth Physical Activity Guidelines Toolkit, by Centers for Disease Control, can be used by anyone who promotes youth physical activity, including community leaders; physical education and health education teachers; physical activity coordinators at the school, district, and state levels; and physical activity practitioners working in health or community-based organizations.
Active for Life is a flexible 10-week program designed to increase physical activity among employees, resulting in benefits such as greater productivity, higher morale, and fewer sick days.
California Fit Business Kit, created by the Network for a Health California - Worksite Program, contains a variety of flexible, easy to implement tools which employers can customize and tailor to meet the needs of their employees at their individual worksites. These tools are designed to help employers make workplace wellness a reality for their employees through access to fruits, vegetables, and physical activity.
The Health Enhancement Research Organization is a national, research oriented, coalition of organizations with common interests in health promotion, disease management, and health related productivity research in order to facilitate research that will impact health care by focusing on prevention and a more healthy and productive population. HERO coordinates and manages several conferences throughout the year.
The National Wellness Institute provides top-notch resources designed to fit individual professional needs in health and wellness promotion. Their annual National Wellness Conference is a highly acclaimed and valuable way to gain access to wellness-related products and services.
The Network for a Healthy California -- Worksite Program is a public health initiative led by the California Department of Health Services and administered by the Public Health Institute. Its purpose is to empower low-income workers to consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables and enjoy physical activity every day. The fruit and vegetable and physical activity objectives are designed to reduce the risks of chronic diseases, especially cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports provides a wealth of useful information on the development of physical fitness and activity programs for everyone. Also available are links to federal and health organization resources, research, and tips.
Health Enhancement Systems provides health promotion programming solutions in the form of systematic incentive programs designed to improve poor health habits and behavior gradually. Also available are publications and links to other resources.
OCI Integrated Information Systems is an application service provider that allows managers to access the most current risk management information available, compare their benefit costs to the world’s largest private collection of integrated health benefits data, and have management information delivered on demand to their desktops.
Diabetes at Work offers an online Business and Managed Care Diabetes and Health Resources Kit that allows employers to help employees manage their diabetes better and take steps towards reducing the risk for diabetes-related problems like heart disease and obesity.
Wellness Councils of America offers workplace wellness tips, resource manuals, incentive campaign ideas, and products, many of which are free.
The National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity provides a rich source of publications, statitistics, new research, fact sheets and tools to promote physical activity, not just in the workplace, but in everyday life. Includes federal and state government policy links and information about upcoming events.
The Institute for Health and Productivity Management offers health promotion and care delivery models organized to produce outcomes that have a positive impact on total labor costs, not just health care costs, to get the most value for the health benefit dollar.
The American College of Sports Medicine advances and integrates scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine. Program suggestions, campaign initiatives, recent research, and links to the Health Promotion Special Interest Group’s conferences are available at the website. Also associated is the Southwest Chapter of ACSM.
The American Journal of Health Promotion now includes The Art of Health Promotion newsletter, a fusion of the best of science and the best of practice in health promotion.
Krames wellness and health promotion materials are ideal for primary care physicians, employee health programs and managed care member communication programs. These materials cover virtually every wellness topic including exercise, diet, stress reduction, smoking cessation, weight management and more. Krames behavior-based methodology teaches readers how to become more involved in managing their health.
Employer Health Management eNews: News & Insights for Managing Employee Health and Productivity, is a complimentary eNewsletter that provides perspective and reports on employee health management news, trends and market research studies in the field of health and productivity management.
Healthy People 2010 challenges individuals, communities, and professionals to take specific steps to ensure that good health, as well as long life, are enjoyed by all.
The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion offers a plethora of information regarding federal health initiatives already in place, recommendations and evaluation strategies, research data and statistics, and economic impact surveys.
Wellness Junction is a newsletter addressing the health care and wellness needs of professionals.
The American Heart Association offers a variety of resources, such as health tools and healthy lifestyle tips, that can easily be implemented in the workplace environment. Also available are links to recent news articles and other current research regarding health issues.
The American Cancer Society offers statistics, publications, media information, prevention and early detection information, and links to research programs.
The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine is the nation's largest medical society dedicated to promoting the health of workers through preventive medicine, clinical care, research, and education. A dynamic group of physicians encompassing specialists in a variety of medical practices is united via the College to develop positions and policies on vital issues relevant to the practice of preventive medicine both within and outside of the workplace.
The Integrated Benefits Institute is an informative resource for understanding the costs of absence, lost productivity and poor health in a professional environment.
CDC—StairWELL to Better Health provides the information employers need to transform your stairs into StairWELLs for better health. At work, choosing the stairs instead of the elevator is a quick way for people to add physical activity to their day.
Prevention Institute believes that a prevention approach that draws on all the necessary stakeholders is necessary to ensure that prevention efforts are systematic and comprehensive. The organization builds on the successes of a variety of fields and applies them to new challenges in fields such as injury and violence prevention, traffic safety, health disparities, nutrition and physical activity, and youth development.
The Economic Costs of Overweight, Obesity and Physical Inactivity Among
Adventure Cycling Association
AgeNet
Aging Fitness 50 plus!
Collected Weight Loss Tips
Diet Information
Dr. Edell HealthCentral
DrKoop.com
Eat Well Guide
The Eating Plan
Excite Health: Exercise & Fitness: Activities: Aerobics
ExRx (Exercise Prescription) Online
Fitness Calculators
Food Fit
HealthAtoZ Virtual Fitness
HealthCalc Network - Cool Tools
HealthWorld Online
League of American Bicyclists
Mayo Clinic Health Oasis
MedicineNet - Medical Information for Diseases, Treatments, Procedures, Drugs and more
Nutricise
Practical Weight Loss
Prevention
RWJF Texas A&M Study
Stop & Go Fast Food Guide
Valley Spokesmen Bicycle Touring Club
Weight Loss Tips
Workout.com
Search & Link Sites
ACE - American Council on Exercise
Excite Health: Exercise & Fitness
HealthAtoZ: The Source For Health and Medicine
HealthScout
Intellihealth
NetSweat.com - The Internet's Fitness Resource
The Fitness Zone: Fitness Equipment, Treadmills, Bikes and More!
Fitness Organizations
ACE: American Council on Exercise
ACSM Certification Resource Center Online
Aerobics Music, Exercise Music, Health and Fitness
American College of Sports Medicine Certification Resource Center Online!
American University - Health Fitness & Promotion California Center for Physical Activity
IHRSA: International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association
International Fitness Association
NSCA Certification Commission
Publications
Athletic Business Magazine
Healthfinder -- health and human services information web site from the United States government
Human Kinetics -- The Information Leader in Physical Activity
Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise Men's Fitness Home Page
New England Journal of Medicine On-line -- Home Page
Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General
Government Fitness Resources
CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Center for Nutrition Policy Promotion
Healthfinder- a consumer health information web site from the US Government
Healthy People 2010 home page National Health Information Center National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NHLBI-CHD Homepage - CHOLESTEROL
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
Injuries and Sports Medicine
Dr. Kenneth Cooper Aerobics Center clinic, health club, medical spa, exercise research
Ideal Weight article - HealthCalc Network - Health, Fitness and Nutrition
Medicine & Fitness QuackWatch Home Page Motivation HealthScout
National Health Study of Nutrition Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
Nutrition Navigator -- most reliable way to find sound nutrition information on the Web
The Lowdown on High Protein Diets - HealthCalc Network - Health, Fitness and Nutrition Series
The Physician and Sportsmedicine Online
Stretching/Flexibility
Abdominal Muscles and Strengthening
Get Fit Power Systems Physical Training Equipment Racewalk.com
Spine Health
Strength /Resistance Training Muscular Strength, Power, Hypertrophy, and Endurance The Abdominal Training FAQ
Stretching and Flexibility - Brad Appleton - Table of Contents
The Physician and Sportsmedicine: Strength Training: Rationale for Current Guidelines for Adult Fitness
Walking - Home Page Walking as Exercise and Pleasure
Walking for Fitness Heel to Toe Fitness Walking - Healthy Living Information
Obesity Prevention Sites
The Wellness Task Force wants to make available to you the most current research on obesity prevention programs and policies. The websites listed below will help connect you with experts who can provide accurate information, statistics, programs, and scientific research, which can be used to develop and/or support health and wellness legislation.
Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) is a national organization that focuses on improving the health of children through nutrition and physical activity. Their website provides background information on childhood obesity, healthy eating and physical activity. Check out the section “Tools for Action” for information and resources. The Resource Database contains well over 100 links to websites, toolkits, and literature on topics related to promoting children’s nutrition and physical fitness. Click here to download the California AFHK Team's list of recommended resources.
Active Community Environments Initiative (ACES) - This section of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website is an excellent resource if you are interested in the relationship between health/fitness and community design. The Initiatives goal is to promote easier accessibility to physical activity, like walking and biking, in the context of community design. Visit this site to learn about ACES programs such as the Kids Walk‐to‐School and find links to publications on the connection between health and community design. Make sure to check out their link “Environmental Approaches to Promote Physical Activity,” as it will lead you to relevant organizations and information on this subject.
Active Healthy Kids Canada (formerly, The Foundation for Active Healthy Kids) was established as a national charitable organization and has become a passionate voice for the development of active healthy children and youth in Canada. This website provides information about their programs, which include a curriculum‐based physical activity challenge; a web page that lets kids, parents and coaches find sports activities that not only match their skill and interest level, but give kids a positive, enjoyable physical activity experience; and a youth summit that brings students together to discuss issues related to physical activity.
Active Living By Design is a national program that establishes innovative approaches to increase physical activity through community design, public policies and communication strategies. This site provides links to information and resources for increasing physical activity through community design, public policy and communications strategies through community partnerships and funding.
Active Living Network offers a list of articles and research materials on schools, health and nutrition, and community design. This includes research on active living issues, annotated fact sheets (categorized by subject area), materials to use in presentations, and links to related information and websites.
American Cancer Society is the nationwide community‐based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service.
American Dietetic Association provides a user‐friendly site with a section on “Nutritional Information” listing links to professional and consumer resources as well as general information. You will also find fact sheets and other information on nutritional programs run by the Association and position papers on a number of topics, including child nutrition.
American Heart Association offers many useful research publications, materials, and information on both youth and adult health data. Under the “Publications and Resources” section, you can find easy‐to‐use materials, PowerPoint presentations and the latest statistics related to heart disease and health issues associated with this disease. They also have an extensive library that offers clinical updates, journals, performance measures, and more.
American Obesity Association website has a section specifically about childhood obesity, which discusses surveys on obesity and parents’ perceptions of their children’s weight and health. You will also find recommendations about how families, schools and communities can combat and prevent obesity, as well as many links to articles and other websites addressing childhood obesity.
America Walks is dedicated to promoting walkable communities. At this website you will learn what actions walking advocates are taking to encourage and make it easier for Americans to walk. Be sure to visit the “Resources” section of their website which provides links to resources supported by America Walks and includes recommendations, information, and tools for pedestrian advocacy such as an advocacy toolkit and their list of ten essentials for pedestrian advocacy.
California Adolescent Nutrition and Fitness Program (CANFit) is a non‐profit organization that helps improves the nutrition and physical activity status of low income African‐American, American Indian, Latino, Asian American, and Pacific Islander youth. CANFit provides training and technical assistance; develops and promotes culturally appropriate nutrition and physical activity education materials and social marketing programs; advocates for policies that support their mission; and awards academic scholarships.
California Bicycling Coalition is a non‐profit education and lobbying organization working to improve bicycling conditions throughout the State of California. Integrating bicycling into everyday transportation and recreation routines is one way that many people are staying fit. Visit the CBC’s website to learn about the policies that bike advocates are fighting for and view the advocacy tools that the CBC provides for the public, including the Guide to Bicycle Advocacy.
California Center for Physical Activity works to create opportunities for everyday activity by connecting partners to active living resources and helping develop more walkable and bikeable communities. The website includes the California Center for Physical Activity mission, project descriptions, case studies, quarterly newsletters, trainings and events, publications and research and links to physical activity best practices and partners.
California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA) is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that raises awareness about critical public health issues and mobilizes communities to promote the establishment of effective health policies. The Center’s website provides data about overweight and unfit children that can be searched for by State Legislative District and information on California legislation designed to combat the problem. You will also find information on the Center’s grassroots campaign to educate policy makers on the importance of healthy eating and physical activity for children.
California Department of Public Health Coordinating Office of obesity Prevention provides information about both nutrition and physical activities. You can also learn about programs and campaigns like the California 5 a Day Campaign and the Physical Activity Integration Campaign. You will also find surveys on food and nutrition by clicking on the “Evaluation Tool” icon.
California Food Policy Advocates (CFPA) mission is to promote the health and well‐being of low‐income Californians by increasing their access to nutritious and affordable food. For more than 13 years, CFPA has worked to strengthen the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Food Stamp Program and other federal nutrition programs. In 2005, CFPA launched “Breakfast First: Healthy Food for Hungry Minds.”
California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) covers a broad range of health indicators, including obesity, diet, and physical activity. CHIS is a very large biennial survey of the state’s adults, adolescents and children. It provides unusually large samples for most California counties and for a substantial number of ethnic and racial groups. AskCHIS, an easy‐to‐use free data query system, provides readily tailored analyses of CHIS data.
California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation’s Diabetes and Obesity project which aims to increase the involvement of California’s physicians in education, outreach, and advocacy efforts related to healthy eating and active lifestyles. This website contains links to nutrition and physical activity community resources for physicians and their patients, policy statements from leading health and medical organizations, and information for scheduling physician presentations with schools, community groups, and/or policymakers.
California Obesity Prevention Institute (COPI) mission is to reduce the prevalence of obesity and its associated health risks in Californians by addressing the societal, technological, and environmental influences on obesity and by creating environments that promote physical activity and healthful eating. COPI provides training and technical assistance to both state and local agencies involved in obesity prevention, works to coordinate state efforts by coordinating with the State Planning Group consisting of DHS’ nutrition and physical activity programs, and provides guidance and recommendations on addressing the obesity issue in California.
California Project LEAN (Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutrition) (CPL) is a joint program of the California Department of Health Services and the Public Health Institute focusing on youth empowerment, policy and environmental change strategies, and community‐based solutions. CPL’s mission is to increase healthy eating and physical activity to reduce the prevalence of obesity and chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, osteoporosis, and diabetes. Through an infrastructure of ten regions, CPL implements local interventions utilizing the Spectrum of Prevention model which describes six levels of prevention activities—from strengthening individual knowledge and skills to influencing policy. CPL has a variety of resources available to help improve access to healthy eating and physical activity.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Overweight and Obesity website containing information on obesity, nutrition and physical activity. The CDC provides scientifically backed data, recommended strategies for prevention, a resource guide for nutrition, physical activity interventions to prevent obesity, and other helpful information. Check out their Prevention & Research Center for various relevant research projects and their database of legislative bills addressing nutrition and physical activity.
Community Health Councils, Inc. is a non‐profit community‐based health promotion, advocacy and policy organization dedicated to strengthening community participation in defining state and local policy that impacts healthcare access and quality for uninsured, economically‐disadvantaged and underserved populations.
County Health Rankings issues reports ranking the overall health of every county in the United States. These reports are designed to help public health and community leaders, policy makers, consumers, and others assess how healthy their counties are, compare those findings with other counties in their state, and identify ways to improve the health of their communities.
Dairy Council of California primary goal is to provide Californians with scientifically accurate nutrition and health information to help them make healthful food choices. Their site provides information for both educators and health professionals. Educators can order free curricular materials for students in grades K‐6, including a free fitness planning guide for teens. Physicians and other health care providers are offered several free publications on healthful lifestyles.
The FruitGuys is an example of a private enterprise that provides companies with fresh fruit as a way to increase employee wellness and develop healthy workplaces. The FruitGuys are currently working on a project that evaluates the affect fresh fruits and vegetables have on employee health and absenteeism, as well as the economic impact of these changes for employers.Kaiser Permanente public web site to access their community wellness library which includes a search capacity, on‐line videos, educational resources and links to medical reference sites.
Let's Move! Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity Within a Generation - Michelle Obama reports, "Since we launched Let's Move! in February, we have been so encouraged by the outpouring of ideas and support we've received from individuals and organizations across the country. I am very proud to release the action plan from our Interagency Childhood Obesity Task Force, Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity Within a Generation. This report provides a national road map that will help us solve the epidemic of childhood obesity in a generation so that children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight." Download the full report here.
Mercy General Preventive Health Center provides fitness and wellness assessment and programming not only for Sacramento area corporations and government agencies, but to the general public as well. Access is available on this site to Health References, Self‐Care Centers, Interactive Tools and individual health issues. See also Catholic Healthcare West.
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute provides an Obesity Education Initiative website, where you will find healthy weight information designed for the education of individuals as well as for health professionals. Within the health professional section of the website, check out “Interactive Tools and Resources” for links to educational websites on obesity, and on “National Education Programs” to learn about the obesity education initiative.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - The Institute’s Weight‐Control Information Network (WIN) provides extensive background information about weight, nutrition and physical activity. The website provides fact sheets, research, pamphlets and statistics. You will also find links to organizations, articles and other resources on a number of weight and obesity related topics.
Network for a Healthy California operates a variety of social marketing campaigns and programs designed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity levels among low-income families. The campaigns and programs include the Children's Power Play! Campaign, Latino Campaign, African American Campaign, Retail Program, and Worksite Program. Each campaign and program has many resources and tools that help promote fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity.
Prevention Institute focuses their efforts on identifying ways to improve community environments, increasing accountability among government and industries involved in food systems, and encouraging media responsibility to support healthy behaviors through changes in policy and organizational practices. This website also provides articles and other publications about nutrition and physical activity.
Public Health Law & Policy (PHLP) partners with government staff, advocates, and other community leaders to provide practical solutions to a wide range of public health problems. Public Health Law & Policy (PHLP) has just released our new Workshop & Training Catalog, which covers a wide range of topics including creating smokefree areas indoors and out, attracting grocery stores to low-income neighborhoods, opening school grounds to the community after school hours, establishing safe routes to schools programs, and more.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation seeks to improve the health and health care of all Americans. One area of interest is a section on “Childhood Obesity” which provides research, publications, resources and grant information. Their Healthy Eating Research program focuses on policy and environmental solutions to prevent childhood obesity.
Strategic Alliance is a coalition of nutrition and physical activity advocates that is shifting the debate on nutrition and physical activity away from a primary focus on personal responsibility and individual choice to one that examines corporate and government practices and the role of the environment in shaping eating and activity behaviors. You will find links to the five general sectors that the Alliance targets: children’s environments, government, industry practices, the health care system and the media. Within each section, the Alliance provides articles, links to programs, tools for implementing environmental change and other resources of interest. (See enclosed community assessment.)
UC Berkeley: The Center for Weight and Health is rich in data, surveys and other information concerning childhood obesity including many links to fact sheets. It also contains ideas for activities and programs, and makes materials and tool kits available to order. You will also find links to other organizations focused on obesity‐related issues, including nutrition, physical activity, and self‐esteem.
UCLA Center for Health Policy Research will connect you with current publications and research regarding California health issues including The California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) which is the largest state health survey and one of the largest health surveys in the United States. A few recent studies have been on walking and access to safe park areas.
VERB is the CDC media campaign to create healthy movement among young people. The program’s focus is encouraging regular physical activity. Visit their website to learn about the research and evaluation behind their campaign, to find out about their campaign strategies, to listen to or view their ads, and to get links to other resources.
Email us or call (916) 534-7750 for more information.
