YMCA Imparts Action-Ready Solutions
to Obesity and Chronic Disease

Leaders From 14 U.S. Communities and Regions Commit to Activate Proven, Community-Based Solutions

Following a two-day conference in Washington, D.C., which drew together experts and leaders across sectors and disciplines, 140 action- minded civic leaders from across the country have returned to their hometowns with a shared promise and obligation to develop and implement community-based solutions that will help halt the nation's physical inactivity and rise in obesity and chronic disease.

Held by the YMCA of the USA (Y-USA), the YMCA Activate America: Pioneering Healthier Communities National Conference (September 9-10 in Washington, D.C.) offered attendees the knowledge of proven behavior modification strategies, and the support of $4 million in newly announced federal funding to back Y-USA's charge to change the current health epidemic. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) Ranking Member, Senate Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Subcommittee addressed conference attendees and made separate funding announcements ($2 million each in grant monies) to Y-USA, the national resource office for the country's 2,575 YMCAs. "With its deep-rooted presence in more than 10,000 communities and neighborhoods nationwide, a long-standing commitment to health and wellness and a track record of pioneering programs that respond to timely societal needs, no other organization is better suited to take the lead in improving the health of Americans than the YMCA of the USA," said Kenneth Gladish, Ph.D, national executive director. "With the Activate America initiative, the YMCA is furthering its leadership role of promoting healthier living for all adults and youth."

Applying Lessons Learned: Collaboration, Evidence-Basis And Sustainability Striving to move beyond the dialogue on the nation's health issues, the YMCA Activate America: Pioneering Healthier Communities National Conference gathered more than 30 experts and 140 representatives from all levels of community sectors -- medicine and science, government, business and academia -- to advance knowledge and focus on what can be done on the community level to turn around the health epidemic. Reinforcing a shared vision for change, conference attendees agreed partnerships and collaboration is key in impacting the enormity and complexity of the obesity and chronic disease.

The conference featured inspiring, model projects and efforts around the country illustrated by experts in varying fields and community change agents, who have firsthand experience in driving transformations that promote healthier community living. According to Tyler Norris (President and CEO, Community Initiatives LLC; Chair, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Active Living by Design Project; and former Founding Executive Director of U.S. Healthier Cities and Communities), the four common characteristics that must be present for a community to successfully achieve its goals are as follows:

1. Recognition that health has nothing to do with medical care and everything to do with creating an environment that supports healthy lifestyle and behaviors.

2. A demonstrated ability to build upon intact relationships and networks to achieve goals, and not just discard what has come before in light of the exciting new flavor of the day.

3. A commitment to making the whole community accountable to building healthy, active living into the fabric of the community's life and holistically measuring progress and successes.

4. An engaged citizenry - who will be active in the political and advocacy processes necessary to improve the active health of the community.

In summarizing key components of programs that work in changing a community's health, Virginia Bales Harris, Director of Adult and Community Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emphasized the importance of capturing current information on a community and selecting the community's priority issue. As illustrated by various experts, common areas of focus for communities include health in the built environment (e.g., reducing sprawl and investing in bike and pedestrian paths; locating businesses in downtown and higher density areas); nutrition policy (e.g., policy and environmental change in schools, nutritional labeling in chain restaurants and food marketing); and active living campaigns for a community residents -- from youth to seniors.

Early Blueprints for Healthier Communities The YMCA Activate America community teams will use the insights, model programs and proven successes learned at the conference to map out their own action plans for change over the course of a year. The initiatives will vary depending on local need and realities, but early indicators show efforts will focus on challenges including: -- school nutrition (Boulder, CO); -- afterschool program (kids K-6) emphasizing physical activity (Rochester, NY); -- engaging older adults in physical activity (St. Louis, MO); and -- community design and public policy (Des Moines, IA)

The communities participating in the YMCA Activate America initiative represent the geographic and demographic diversity of the U.S.: Dallas, Texas; Des Moines, Iowa; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Boulder, Colorado; Tampa, Florida; Jackson, Mississippi; St. Louis, Missouri; Bellevue, Washington; State of West Virginia; Boise, Idaho; State of Delaware; Palo Alto, California; Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Rochester, New York. Representatives from each of these community teams will reconvene in the coming year to share results and replicate solutions that can be spread to other communities nationally.

For more information and to learn more about the communities, please visit http://www.ymca.net/activateamerica .

About YMCA "Activate America: Pioneering Healthier Communities" The YMCA Activate America: Pioneering Healthier Communities Conference is part of the multi-year YMCA Activate America initiative focused on community- based solutions to combat obesity and chronic disease. YMCA "Activate America: Pioneering Healthier Communities" is developed with expert advice and assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Their input is helping to build an infrastructure for replicating model programs and approaches in developing healthy communities nationwide.

In addition, the Association of State and Territorial Chronic Disease Program Directors (CDD) and the American Public Health Association are also working with Y-USA in this effort. Health and wellness has been an integral part of YMCAs charitable mission for more than 150 years. YMCA "Activate America" builds upon the YMCA's track record of pioneering programs that respond to timely societal needs.

YMCA Leadership -- Long-Standing Commitment to Spirit, Mind, Body Serving more than 10,000 communities and neighborhoods, no institution is better positioned to act as a unifying force in this effort than YMCA of the USA, the national resource office for 2,575 YMCAs. Offering a broad range of programs including youth leadership and volunteerism, YMCAs are collectively the nation's largest providers of child care, afterschool, and youth sports programs and are working to incorporate physical activity into all aspects of youth, family and community programming. Visit http://www.ymca.net for more information. Corporate Sponsors:

About JCPenney Afterschool JCPenney Afterschool is committed to helping provide children with high-quality, affordable afterschool programs to help them reach their full potential. The JCPenney Afterschool Fund is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization contributing financial support to five of America's leading Afterschool child care providers and advocates - YMCA of the USA, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Afterschool Alliance, 4-H and Junior Achievement. JCPenney Afterschool's support helps provide safe, fun and educational afterschool programs and raise awareness of the need for more such programs across the country. About Kimberly-Clark Corporation Kimberly-Clark and its well-known brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 250 countries. Everyday, 1.3 billion people -- nearly a quarter of the world's population -- trust their brands to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being -- brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend.


Reference Source 123
September 14, 2004

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