The Sisters Together Move More Eat Better pilot program was recognized as an exemplary community program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) news conference to announce the release of "Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General." The Sisters Together campaign is one of twelve community programs with a physical activity component that participated in the event.
Sisters Together is a 3-year health awareness campaign designed to encourage black women from the Boston communities of Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury to maintain their weight by increasing their physical activity and eating healthy foods. "This historic report underscores our efforts to encourage young African American women to move more and eat better," says Kelley Chunn, communications coordinator for the pilot program.
The Sisters Together program encourages women to join walking groups to become more physically active. The groups are coordinated by walking group leaders and meet daily in the three Boston communities. Nellie Knight, community coordinator for Sisters Together, trains the walking group leaders and provides them with a monthly newsletter highlighting community events and resources. The leaders also are given educational materials such as Walking, a brochure designed specifically for the pilot program. The brochure supplies the walking group leaders with practical tips on starting and maintaining a walking program, examples of warm-up exercises, and information on the health benefits of walking. Currently, the walking group leaders are planning indoor physical activities to keep members active this winter. "The challenge is to keep our walkers motivated and moving," says Ms. Knight.
In addition to encouraging physical activity, the pilot program is increasing women's awareness about the importance of eating healthy foods. Sisters Together sponsors cooking demonstrations at local health and fitness centers to teach healthy food preparation skills and encourages women to purchase fresh produce and other foods at the local farmers' markets.
Sisters Together is a project of WIN in conjunction with the Boston Obesity/Nutrition Research Center, which includes representatives from the New England Medical Center, the Harvard School of Public Health, and Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy. For further information about Sisters Together activities, call WIN's toll-free number, 1-800-946-8098.