WIN
Notes
Winter
2009
In
This Issue:
- Physical Activity Can Prevent
Disability in Older Adults Despite Body Weight
- Physical Activity Among Children
Decreases Significantly Over Time
- Risk of Heart Failure Increases for
Obese Individuals
- Overweight Rates Among Children and
Teens Remain High but Steady
- DHHS Releases 2008 Physical
Activity Guidelines for Americans
- DHHS Secretary Mike Leavitt Names Healthy
People 2020 Advisory Committee
- DHHS Employees and Staff
Participate
in Healthier Feds Challenge
- NIH Sponsors "Take a Loved One to
the Doctor Day"
- NIDDK Creates Awareness and Prevention
Series
- Healthy Moments Program on WMMJ
Radio
Features NIDDK Director
- NDEP Updates Nutritional Campaign, Más
que comida, es vida
- MyPyramid.gov Offers New
Interactive Meal Planner
- Interactive Computer Game From
MyPyramid.gov Helps Children Make Healthy Choices
- New Online Tool From the
American
Heart Association Helps Users "Meet the Fats"
- WIN in the Community
- Materials From WIN
- Tell Us What You Think!
Cover
Story
CDC
Releases
National
Diabetes Fact Sheet, 2007
According to recent
research, the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 24 million people are living with
diabetes in the United States: 18 million people have been diagnosed
and another 6 million do not know they have the disease. Each year
since 2003 the CDC has collaborated with several Federal and
non-Federal organizations to present the National
Diabetes Fact
Sheet. In developing the annual
fact sheet, CDC consults relevant
published studies and works with agencies within the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services (DHHS), the American Diabetes Association,
the American Association of Diabetes Educators, Juvenile Diabetes
Research Foundation International, the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs, and the U.S. Census Bureau. The resultant fact sheet
summarizes the estimates of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes in the
United States. In addition, it provides important information
pertaining to complications associated with diabetes and measures for
prevention, control, and maintenance of the disease.
For adults, the
prevalence of diabetes increases with age, and
adults age 60 or older are most affected. The prevalence rate for
children and adolescents under the age of 20 is about 0.2 percent.
While this percentage may seem low, the number of newly diagnosed cases
of diabetes is increasing, with the greatest number of cases of type 2
diabetes seen among Native-American, African-American, and
Asian/Pacific-Islander youth age 10 to 19.
The direct and indirect
costs of diabetes in the United States
are estimated at $174 billion, with direct medical costs accounting for
$116 billion. In fact, the average medical costs for people with
diagnosed diabetes are 2.3 times higher than those for people without
diabetes. Lastly, the indirect costs associated with disability, time
off work, or premature death due to diabetes are estimated at $58
billion.
Two major complications
of diabetes are heart disease and
stroke. Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have
heart disease-related deaths than adults without diabetes. Similarly,
the
risk of stroke is two to four times higher in adults with diabetes than
adults without the disease. Other complications include high blood
pressure, blindness, kidney disease, nervous system disease, lower-limb
amputations, dental disease, and complications during pregnancy. These
complications can often be prevented with adequate control of
one’s blood glucose, blood pressure, blood lipids such as
blood
cholesterol, as well as preventive care for one’s eyes, feet,
and
kidneys.
It is important to
recognize that while these estimates paint
a troubling picture, diabetes can be maintained, and many of the
associated complications can be prevented. Research studies have shown
that making healthy changes in one’s lifestyle, such as
weight
loss, an increase in physical activity, and healthy eating habits, can
reduce the risk of developing diabetes by as much as 60 percent. The
benefit of lifestyle modification on the development of disease is the
greatest for adults over the age of 60.
Article
Information
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National
diabetes fact
sheet: general information and national
estimates on diabetes
in the United States, 2007.
Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008.
Top
Research
Notes
Physical
Activity Can
Prevent Disability in Older Adults Despite Body Weight
It has been well
documented that physical activity provides a
protective benefit against not only the development of overweight and
obesity, but many associated chronic health conditions, including
cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. While the benefits of
physical activity have been seen across all age groups, they are
particularly evident among older adults. Research has shown that
physical activity can help prevent disability in older adults and
improve one’s ability to carry out activities of daily
living.
Several studies on older
adults have compared physical
activity with the development of disability, physical activity with
body weight, and body weight and disability. In one such study, a group
of researchers from Stanford University examined the relationship of
body weight and physical activity on the development of disability for
older adults over the course of 13 years. Researchers hypothesized that
physically active overweight and normal-weight older adults would have
less disability than physically inactive seniors.
Researchers used
self-report questionnaires from an earlier
study examining the long-term health benefits of running. The
questionnaires were collected every year from 1989 to 2002 as part of
the earlier study. Participants were 72-percent male, 96-percent
Caucasian, and they averaged 65 years of age. Based on the
questionnaire data, researchers categorized adults as
“active” if they participated in vigorous exercise
for more
than 60 minutes per week and “inactive” if they
participated in such exercise for 60 minutes or less per week. Body
weight was classified by body mass index (BMI) and the study population
was grouped as “normal-weight” (BMI<25 kg/m2)
or
“overweight” (BMI≥25 kg/m2).
Based on BMI and vigorous
exercise, researchers created four study groups: normal-weight active,
normal-weight inactive, overweight active, and overweight
inactive.
In general, inactive
participants were significantly more
likely to develop disability than active participants, regardless of
weight. More specifically, the overweight active participants had
significantly less disability than the normal-weight inactive
participants.
Researchers from the
recent study recognized that it is
difficult to generalize results due to the fact that study participants
were primarily Caucasian men. However, the researchers believe that the
benefits of participating in regular physical activity would not differ
for other groups of seniors, noting that results from the Stanford
study are consistent with those found in studies of more diverse
populations. Regardless, the take-home message of the study is that
physical activity may prevent or reduce the development of disability
among older adults, regardless of body weight. Researchers conclude
that public health initiatives should focus on encouraging seniors to
be physically active, rather than focusing on losing body weight, since
the former may be easier for overweight seniors to achieve.
Article
Information
Bruce B, Fries J, Hubert H. Regular Vigorous Physical Activity and
Disability Development in Healthy Overweight and Normal-Weight Seniors:
A 13-Year Study. American
Journal of Public Health. 2008;98(7):1294–1299.
Physical
Activity Among
Children Decreases Significantly Over Time
Coupled with unhealthy
eating habits, physical inactivity is a
major contributor to weight gain. Currently the majority of U.S. adults
do not meet recommended amounts of physical activity, such as achieving
30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week, a
recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and
the American College of Sports Medicine. Given the rise in childhood
overweight, it is important to determine whether children and
adolescents meet recommendations for physical activity and how their
activity levels change over time. According to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA), children need at least 60 minutes of
moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day.
Recently, a group of researchers from around the United States sought
to describe the patterns of physical activity for children over a
6-year period. Using data from the National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth
Development, the researchers were able to define physical activity
levels for a large sample of 1,098 children from northeastern,
southern, midwestern, and western regions of the United States.
The sample was split
evenly between boys and girls.
Seventy-six percent of the children were Caucasian, and about 25
percent were from low-income families. While the sample was not
completely representative of children living in the United States, the
researchers note that the sample closely matched the 1990 U.S.
population (the time at which study participants were recruited) in
terms of ethnicity and income level.
Beginning when the
children were 9 years old, physical
activity was measured using an accelerometer, a device that records
minute-by-minute movement counts. The device was worn around the waist
of the children during waking hours for 7 days, including 2 weekend
days and 5 week days. However, the accelerometers were removed during
showering, bathing, and participation in water or contact sports. Any
accelerometer data deemed invalid by researcher-defined standards, such
as too short a measurement time or zero counts, were not included in
the analysis. Researchers used the number of counts recorded by the
device to estimate the energy expended in moderate, vigorous, and very
vigorous physical activity. For the purposes of this study, researchers
only examined MVPA. The MVPA levels were determined for each child
during 7-day periods at age 9, 11, 12, and 15.
Overall, children
participated in less MVPA as they moved from
childhood to adolescence. At age 9, children participated in about 3
hours of MVPA on both week days and weekends. By age 15, that time
decreased to 49 minutes per week day and 35 minutes per weekend. The
percentage of children meeting the USDA-recommended activity levels
also decreased over time. At 9 and 11 years, almost all children
examined met the guidelines on week days and weekends, but by age 15
these percentages dropped significantly. Only 31 percent of adolescents
at that age met the recommendations on week days, and only 17 percent
met the recommendations on weekends.
The study contained other
results of note. For example, boys
participated in more MVPA at age 9 than did girls. However, the rate at
which MVPA decreased over time was the same for both boys and girls.
Girls met the daily MVPA recommendations until approximately age 13,
and boys continued to meet the recommendations until just before age
15. While no significant differences in the amount of time engaged in
MVPA were seen between the different geographical locations, children
residing in the South and Midwest decreased their amount of MVPA at a
faster rate than those residing in the West and Northeast.
Researchers conclude that
these study results reinforce the
notion that early intervention is necessary to decrease the prevalence
of overweight among children in the United States. However, they also
state that further research is needed to determine why adolescents
experience such substantial decreases in physical activity over time.
Only by examining the various environmental, physical, and behavioral
contributors to overweight can we begin to decrease its
prevalence.
Article
Information
Nader P, Bradley R, Houts R, et al. Moderate-to-vigorous physical
activity from ages 9 to 15 years. Journal
of the American Medical
Association. 2008 Jul
16;300(3):295–305.
Top
Dietary
and Obesity Reports
Risk
of Heart Failure Increases for
Obese Individuals
The findings from the
ongoing Multi-Ethnic Study of
Atherosclerosis (MESA) have shed new light on the link between obesity
and the subsequent development of congestive heart failure (CHF). The
initial results, published in the Journal
of the American College
of Cardiology, demonstrate that
people who are obese have higher
levels of the components of inflammation, which damage the heart tissue
and increase one’s risk for CHF.
MESA is a 15-year
prospective study designed to examine the
early stages of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases as
they develop. The study population consisted of 6,814 men and women,
age 45 to 84, from 6 states: Maryland, Illinois, North Carolina,
California, New York, and Minnesota. The study population was
53-percent female, 38-percent Caucasian, 28-percent African American,
22-percent Hispanic, and 12-percent Chinese American. All participants
were free of symptoms of cardiovascular disease at the time of
enrollment.
Over the course of a
4-year follow-up, 79 participants
developed CHF, and 26 participants suffered a heart attack prior to
developing CHF. Participants who developed CHF were more likely to be
older, male, obese, and smokers at the time of the study. These
participants were also more likely to have high blood pressure and
diabetes. Researchers examined the specific chemical components of
inflammation and found that increased levels of interleuken-6 (IL-6),
C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and albumin, were associated with CHF,
independent of obesity and other established risk factors.
MESA researchers also
examined the relationship between
metabolic syndrome and the development of CHF. Metabolic syndrome is a
collection of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
These risk factors are abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, elevated
blood glucose levels, and abnormal cholesterol levels. Of these
factors, researchers found that elevated blood glucose levels,
abdominal obesity, and high blood pressure were the strongest
predictors of CHF.
Researchers concluded
that the association between obesity and
CHF may be related to inflammation, noting that a large proportion of
the participants who developed CHF had elevated levels of inflammatory
markers and albuminuria in addition to obesity. Further research is
necessary to fully understand this association in order to prevent CHF.
Article
Information
Bahrami H, Bluemke D, Kronmal R, et al. Novel metabolic risk factors
for incident heart failure and their relationship with obesity: the
MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) study. Journal
of the
American College of Cardiology. 2008;51(18):1775–1783.
Overweight
Rates Among
Children and Teens Remain High but Steady
To examine the current
trends in childhood overweight in the
United States, a group of researchers from the National Center for
Health Statistics, an organization within the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), updated the national estimates of the
prevalence of high body mass index (BMI) among children and adolescents
aged 2 through 19.
The researchers used data
from the National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2004 and
2005–2006 to gather height, weight, race, and ethnicity
information for 8,165 children and adolescents. Researchers reviewed
the data to determine the differences between the 2003–2004
and
2005–2006 prevalence rates, as well as any trends in
prevalence
over time. To determine potential trends, researchers used data from
NHANES 1999–2000, 2001–2002, 2003–2004,
and
2005–2006.
For each of the children
and adolescents studied, researchers
calculated BMI (weight in kilograms divided by height in meters
squared). Prevalence of childhood overweight estimates were determined
for three high BMI-for-age cut points: at or above the 97th percentile,
at or above the 95th percentile, and at or above the 85th percentile.
According to the CDC growth charts, children with BMI-for-age between
the 85th and 95th percentiles are considered at risk for becoming
overweight. BMI-for-age equal to or above the 95th percentile are
considered overweight. The 97th percentile was used by the researchers
to determine the prevalence of the heaviest children.
In calculating the
prevalence of overweight at the three
measurement points, researchers found no significant differences
between data from NHANES 2003–2004 and 2005–2006.
This
indicates the rates of childhood overweight have not significantly
increased during the 2 years between data collection points. Therefore,
to determine more stable prevalence estimates, the researchers combined
the data to create childhood overweight prevalence estimates for
2003–2006.
The prevalence estimates
for all children aged 2 through 19
were 11.3 percent, 16.3 percent, and 31.9 percent at the 97th, 95th,
and 85th percentiles, respectively. In examining trends, high BMI
differed significantly by age and race, but not by gender. For
instance, at all three measuring points, all children aged 2 through 5
were significantly less likely to have a high BMI than all children
aged 12 through 19. African-American and Mexican-American girls were
more likely to have a high BMI than Caucasian girls aged 12 through 19.
For boys, Mexican Americans were significantly more likely to have
higher BMI than Caucasians.
Research has shown
childhood overweight may lead to overweight
and obesity throughout adulthood. While the overall prevalence
estimates for childhood overweight in the United States have not
significantly increased since 2003, the issue of childhood overweight
remains an important one for parents and caregivers, as well as health
professionals and policy makers.
Article
Information
Ogden C, Carroll M, Flegal K. High Body Mass Index for Age Among US
Children and Adolescents, 2003–2006. Journal
of the American
Medical Association. 2008;299(20):2401–2405.
Top
DHHS
News
DHHS has developed and
released national physical activity
guidelines for the first time with the 2008
Physical Activity
Guidelines for Americans.
The new guidelines provide
information
and direction on recommended types and amounts of physical activity for
Americans age 6 and older.
In addition to providing
information regarding the significant
health benefits of physical activity, the Physical
Activity
Guidelines also describe how
individuals can incorporate physical
activity within their lifestyle. The guidelines also include
information for groups requiring special consideration, such as older
adults and pregnant women.
For more information
about the 2008 Physical
Activity
Guidelines for Americans, visit
http://www.health.gov/PAguidelines.
DHHS Secretary Mike
Leavitt has named the advisory committee
that will make recommendations for developing and implementing national
health promotion and disease prevention objectives for Healthy
People 2020.
In 1979, the Surgeon
General’s report Healthy
People first examined the
indicators of our nation’s health
and laid the ground work for the subsequent publications Promoting
Health/Preventing Disease: Objectives for the Nation (1980),
Healthy
People 2000: National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Objectives, and Healthy
People 2010:
Understanding and Improving
Health. These publications
established health objectives for improving
the health of the nation, and served as the resource for many state and
community health promotion programs.
In developing the
framework for Healthy People
2020,
the advisory committee will address the risk factors and determinants
of health and the diseases and disorders that affect our communities.
The committee will examine major risks to health, advancements in
diagnosis and treatment of disease, and changing public health
objectives. The growing obesity epidemic and the related chronic
illnesses have been named as primary targets for Healthy
People
2020 by Secretary Leavitt.
For more information
about Healthy People 2020,
please visit http://www.healthypeople.gov/hp2020.
Earlier this year DHHS
employees and staff once again took
part in the annual Healthier Feds Challenge, part of the National
President’s Fitness Challenge, an 8-week physical fitness
program
held from March 20 through May 15.
Participants in the
program took part in one of many physical
activities listed on the Challenge website (http://www.fitness.gov/activities.htm)
and earned points for every completed session of physical activity.
Each participant was part of a team that collects the earned points as
part of an overall team score. While the Challenge provides the
opportunity for friendly competition among its participants, the
ultimate goal is to encourage DHHS staff to be physically active at
least 5 days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes per session.
The Healthier Feds
Challenge involved many agencies throughout
the Federal Government. However, this year NIH stepped up the
competition and sponsored several physical activity-related events.
Each event was designed to promote the overall message of incorporating
regular physical activity into one’s lifestyle while allowing
some friendly competition between Institutes.
Highlights of this
year’s Challenge included its kickoff
event on March 20, featuring Acting Surgeon General Dr. Steven Galson
and Super Bowl XLII MVP Eli Manning, quarterback of the New York
Giants. May 6 marked the “NIH Take a Hike Day,”
with over
1,400 participants completing a run/walk around the NIH campus. The NIH
also held its first annual Yoga Week from May 19 through 23. The
week’s events highlighted both the science and practice of
yoga,
providing employees and the public with an opportunity to learn about
the benefits of yoga. Participants got a chance to experience yoga
through free sessions taught by locally and nationally renowned
instructors.
NIH
News
“Take a Loved
One to the Doctor Day” is a national
campaign that promotes regular health screenings. Led by radio host Tom
Joyner, the campaign specifically highlights the health disparities
faced by African-American communities throughout the United States.
The campaign was launched
in 2002 as an annual event but has
since grown in scope, with two Take a Loved One to the Doctor Days held
in Washington, DC, within 6 months of each other. Events were held in
September 2007 and April 2008 in the lobby of Providence Hospital. The
April event featured interviews with Dr. Edith Swann, from the National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Dr. Griffin Rodgers,
Director of NIDDK; and Dr. Gonzalo Laje, from the National Institute of
Mental Health.
In conjunction with Take
a Loved One to the Doctor Day, health
messages are aired on hundreds of radio stations across the country.
The spots offer specific tips on incorporating healthier habits into
one’s lifestyle and discussing the health disparities between
African Americans and other groups within the U.S. population.
Top
NIDDK has produced the Awareness
and Prevention Series,
a new collection of health publications created to raise awareness
about diabetes, digestive diseases, and kidney and urologic diseases
among people not yet diagnosed with these illnesses. The series covers
a wide range of topics, and the materials are intended primarily for
community health fairs and similar events. Each two-page fact sheet
consists of one English side and one Spanish-language side, which can
be separated and distributed individually.
The copyright-free
publications are available online at http://www2.niddk.nih.gov/HealthEducation/Awareness+and+Prevention+Series.htm.
Top
To reinforce the health
promotion efforts of Take a Loved One
to the Doctor Day, the Washington, DC, radio station WMMJ is airing its
new year-long Healthy Moments
program. The program, which
began the week of May 12 during the Tom
Joyner Morning Show,
features information on topics such as diabetes prevention and
management, kidney health, and weight management offered in brief
segments, or “healthy moments,” from NIDDK Director
Dr.
Griffin Rodgers.
To listen to or read
transcripts from Healthy
Moments,
visit http://www2.niddk.nih.gov/HealthEducation/HealthyMoments.
Top
The National Diabetes
Education Program (NDEP) Hispanic/Latino
Work Group has updated and relaunched its nutritional campaign, Más
que comida, es vida (It’s
more than food, it’s
life) to help Hispanics and
Latinos make healthier food choices
without sacrificing their favorite foods. Based on Hispanic and Latino
culture and background, the bilingual educational campaign is a
resource for dietitians, diabetes educators, and other health care
professionals. It is intended for people with diabetes or those at risk
for the disease. NDEP hopes to help this population recognize that they
can eat healthier foods without losing their cultural
identity.
The campaign materials
include a bilingual recipe booklet, a
full-color poster, and promotional materials for health care
professionals to use as part of their promotional efforts.
For more information, or
to order or download any of the
components, please visit http://www.ndep.nih.gov.
Top
Cyber
Notes
MyPyramid.gov, the
educational website from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), has a new tool designed to help
consumers make healthier food and physical activity choices: the
MyPyramid Menu Planner. The Planner helps individuals prepare healthier
menus based on the recommendations of the MyPyramid food guidance
system and the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans, released
jointly in 2005 by USDA and DHHS. The interactive tool can also be used
to develop menus based on users’ individual needs with regard
to
age, gender, and daily activity level.
The new feature can be
found at http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/planner.
Top
“MyPyramidBlast
Off” is an interactive computer
game for children developed by MyPyramid.gov. The game reinforces the
key concepts of the MyPyramid for Kids website. The goal of the game is
for children to reach Planet Power by fueling a rocket with food and
physical activity. “Fuel” tanks for each food group
help
kids keep track of how their food choices fit into MyPyramid.
In order to blast off, kids must not go overboard on total fuel, added
sugars, and solid fats.
The interactive game can be found at http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/kids_game.html.
Top
The American Heart
Association would like to introduce you to
the Fats, a family of two brothers, Sat and Trans (a.k.a. the Bad Fats
Brothers) and two sisters, Mon and Poly (a.k.a. the Better Fats
Sisters). Each family member has his or her own biography page that
lists the special qualities each one possesses. For instance,
Trans’s occupation is “Heartbreaker,”
while
Mon’s is “Heart Helper.” The website
provides facts
regarding the different fats, such as a “Fat IQ”
quiz and
the nutritional information for foods containing “bad
fats”
and “better fats.”
“Meet the
Fats” by visiting http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3055397.
Top
Program
Notes
Metrobus Dioramas
WIN has once again teamed
up with the Washington Metropolitan
Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to help the Washington, DC, metropolitan
community stay healthy as school began this fall. WIN displayed healthy
back-to-school messages using dioramas located inside buses throughout
the Metrobus system. The messages were on display from August 1 through
31, 2008. WIN first teamed up with WMATA in December 2007. Dioramas
promoting tips for staying healthy over the winter holidays were
displayed at five Metro stations around the Washington, DC, area.
Kids
in the Kitchen Program
WIN will be a featured
educational program partner and
supporter of the Kids in the
Kitchen program from the
Association of the Junior Leagues International. The program was
developed to empower youth to make healthy lifestyle choices and help
curb the rise in childhood overweight and its associated health issues.
At events throughout the United States and Canada, Junior Leagues
present lessons and demonstrations related to the preparation of
healthy meals and snacks with local chefs and members of community
organizations. The initiative’s accompanying website includes
recipes in English and Spanish; tips on nutrition, fitness, and healthy
lifestyles; and an interactive “Kids’
Corner” with
games and coloring pages.
To learn more about Kids
in the Kitchen, visit http://kidsinthekitchen.ajli.org.
WIN Participates in Local
and National Events
In February 2008 WIN
participated at two National
Women’s Heart Day events as part of American Heart Month. At
both
events, held in Washington, DC, and Baltimore, MD, WIN provided
appreciative attendees with pens, tote bags, and backpacks, in addition
to WIN and Sisters Together
publications.
In June WIN presented a
poster at the annual conference of the
National Association of School Nurses, titled “Publications
From
the Weight-control Information Network Address Growing Prevalence of
Childhood Overweight and Obesity.” WIN also exhibited at the
conference with several WIN publications and other materials.
The outreach and
promotional efforts of WIN also reached new
heights in 2008. The March promotional effort, a flyer titled
“Being Healthy Is a Big Deal,” provided tips on how
children and teenagers can be more involved in their health and that
of their families. In conjunction with the flyer, WIN provided more
than 300 kits of relevant publications to the annual Child Care
Connections conference in Anne Arundel County, MD. WIN then produced a
similar flyer in June titled “Get in the Game,”
which
provided valuable nutrition and physical activity advice specifically
for men. WIN provided the Men’s Health Network with 200
copies of
“Get in the Game” for the annual Congressional
Men’s
Health Screening on Capitol Hill, June 10 through 12.
Comments
From the Road!
What
are conference attendees saying about WIN?
“My coworkers
and I are going to start exercising during
our lunch break. Can I take a few brochures [Better
Health and You]
to share with them?”
—Attendee
National Women’s Heart Day Health Fair
Baltimore, MD, February 2008
“Your materials
would be a great complement to some of
the new programs that I’m trying to start at my church.
Thanks!”
—Attendee
Bronner Brothers Hair Show
Atlanta, GA, February 2008
“A lot of
employees participated—[the competition]
went over very well. I put the weight-control booklets out with other
nutrition information and they were all taken at the end of the day.
Thank you for your support.”
—Patty
Guay-Berry, R.D.
Clinical Nutrition Manager
Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, MD
Attendee, Maryland Dietetic Association Annual Meeting
Rockville, MD, April 2008
Ms. Guay-Berry was referring to WIN materials that were used as
giveaway items in a “Biggest Loser” competition at
Suburban
Hospital.
“I use Take
Charge of Your Health: A Guide for
Teenagers! in a class that I
teach every week with parents and
kids.”
—Timothy Gray,
D.O.
Mountain View Medical Center
Forest Grove, OR
Attendee, American Association of Diabetes Educators
Annual Meeting
Washington, DC, August 2008
The Sisters
Together Program
African-American women in
five U.S. cities pledged to move
more and eat better by joining one of the five new Sisters
Together
programs that started this year. The new programs began in Detroit, MI;
Wichita, KS; Atmore, AL; Milwaukee, WI; and Myrtle Beach, SC. In fact,
the kickoff event in South Carolina featured local radio personalities,
tables with nutrition and fitness information, free giveaways, and
incentives for participants. The event was so successful it was written
up in the local newspaper, the Loris
Scene.
WIN introduced Sisters
Together to participants at
the Gift
for Life Block Walk in Baltimore, MD, on October 4, 2008. Part of the
national education outreach program of Sisters Network, Inc., the Gift
for Life Block Walk promotes breast health awareness in the
African-American community. Breast cancer survivors in Baltimore will
partner with volunteers to canvas door-to-door in the African-American
community, distributing breast health education brochures, a resource
list, and pink ribbons. For more information, visit Sisters Network,
Inc. at http://www.sistersnetworkinc.org/national_program.asp.
Resource
Notes
Materials
From WIN
WIN has created a new
publication that encourages readers to
make realistic and gradual changes to have a healthier lifestyle: Changing
Your Habits: Steps to Better Health.
Research shows that being
overweight or obese puts individuals at increased risk for various
conditions, including heart disease and stroke, diabetes, and cancer.
However, making healthy changes may be a daunting task, and individuals
often do not know where to begin.
WIN recognizes how
challenging it can be to make healthy
lifestyle changes and believes that providing accurate information and
encouragement may help individuals get started. Changing
Your
Habits emphasizes how making
these changes is a very individual
process: “It is important to think about what motivates you,
what trips you up,
and what you enjoy
when it
comes to eating and activity habits. There is no such thing as a
‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.” Readers
are guided
through steps that can help them determine what
“stage”
they are in—how ready they are—to make healthy
lifestyle
changes. Once that stage is determined, strategies on how to make
healthy changes are offered.
In addition, Changing
Your Habits lists sources for
further reading and information, such as the American Heart
Association, the National Diabetes Education Program, and
MyPyramid.gov.
Updated and Reprinted
Materials
WIN has also updated and
reprinted several fact sheets and
brochures. The publications listed below have been revised to include
the latest scientific research.
Binge
Eating Disorder
Celebrate the Beauty of
Youth
Choosing a Safe and
Successful Weight-loss Program
Dieting and Gallstones
Energize Yourself and
Your Family
Improving Your Health:
Tips for African American Men and Women
Longitudinal Assessment
of Bariatric Surgery (LABS)
Understanding Adult
Obesity
Very Low-calorie Diets
Weight and Waist
Measurement
Weight Cycling
To obtain a free copy of
these or other publications, contact
WIN at 1–877–946–4627 or win@info.niddk.nih.gov.
You can also download PDF copies at http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov.
Top
Editor's
Notes
Tell
Us What You
Think!
- What articles did you
enjoy or find most useful in this
edition of WIN Notes?
- What topics would you
like to see addressed in WIN
Notes?
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clinic, research facility, school, at home for personal information)
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mailing address below.
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comments or questions? Use the space
below to let us know.
Please send your
responses, questions, or other comments to:
Editor
Weight-control Information Network
1 WIN Way
Bethesda, MD 20892–3665
Phone: (202) 828–1025
Toll-free number: 1–877–946–4627
Fax: (202) 828–1028
Email: win@info.niddk.nih.gov
WIN publications are not
under copyright restrictions. Readers
may make unlimited copies. To view WIN publications, visit our website
at http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov.
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