October 26, 2007

By Rosanne Prinsen, MSc, Alberta Centre for Active Living

CHILDREN

CDC study finds U.S. schools making progress in decreasing availability of junk food and promoting physical activity

http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/
2007/r071019a.htm

GENERAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Bicycling and walking in the U.S.

http://thunderheadalliance.org/pdf/
benchmarking2007.pdf

“Thunderhead’s first biennial Benchmarking Report, shows that bicycling and walking have been in decline in the U.S. since the 1960s. At the same time there has been a surge in adults and children who are obese. The report compares, for the first time ever, bicycling and walking levels, investment in bicycling and walking, and public health. The most striking findings reveal major disparities between cycling and walking levels, traffic fatalities, and federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects.” The document is 18 MB and 120 pages.

Preventing chronic disease: Public health research, practice and policy

http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2007/
oct/toc.htm

The October 2007 issue of this CDC research journal. Many articles deal with physical activity and specific ethnic groups in the United States.

NUTRITION

Canada’s nutrition and health atlas (CNHA)

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/surveill/
atlas/index_e.html

You can view maps for each indicator or data by province (see the links in the right-hand column). There is information on nutrition and physical activity (five different sets of physical activity data), data on adults and children.

This survey is the best for BMI statistics because "The height and weight measures of all respondents aged 2 and older were collected at the end of the interview. In addition to the exact measures, self-perceived height and weight were also collected from 10% of respondents aged 18 and older."

My food guide servings tracker

http://tinyurl.com/2bra7g

The Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion has released a new tool to help Canadians keep track of the amount and type of food they eat each day. You can print the My Food Guide Servings Tracker from the Health Canada website. Print My Food Guide Servings Tracker for your age and sex and use it to keep track of your daily choices. Compare it to the recommendations in Canada's Food Guide.

WORKPLACE

CDC presents first state-by-state data on work limitations caused by arthritis

http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/
pressrel/2007/r071011.htm

“… these findings show that large numbers of workers in every state are affected by arthritis … Fortunately, simple workplace accommodations like flexible work schedules, ergonomic work stations and efforts to promote exercise and physical activity can help many workers who have arthritis.”