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Community Leaders From Across the Nation Come Together to Make Obesity and Chronic Disease Prevention a Priority

Posted on: Thursday, 12 June 2008, 12:00 CDT

ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, more than 150 community leaders from across the nation learned firsthand from national and local experts about strategies to combat obesity and other chronic diseases in their hometowns. The leaders are part of Community Heath Action Response Teams, or CHARTs, that have mobilized to address health concerns in 10 communities across the nation, including Black Hawk, Iowa; Wichita, Kan.; Hancock County, Maine; Albuquerque, N.M.; Salamanca, N.Y.; Cleveland County, N.C.; Stark, Ohio; Allentown, Pa.; Houston, Texas; and Tacoma-Pierce County, Wash. The communities received funding in January 2008, from the YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD), with support from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The communities are part of an initiative called Action Communities for Health, Innovation and EnVironmental ChangE (ACHIEVE). ACHIEVE is a national and local partnership that works to advance leadership and action to reduce chronic diseases and related risk factors. These CHART members and partners focus on improving the environments where people live, work, play, and learn. Promoting actions and advancements around physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco use, as well as improving health systems and other systems of care that provide services to people with chronic diseases will give people of all ages the support needed to lead healthier lives in healthy communities.

Presenters included national leaders in the fight against chronic diseases. Dr. Wayne Giles, director, Division of Adult and Community Health at the CDC, kicked off the program with information on the burden of chronic diseases and the critical role of chronic disease management. Prevention Institute policy gurus Larry Cohen and Virginia Lee provided sessions on building local policy and organizations practice change into community work. Mark Fenton, noted author, television personality, and walking enthusiast, focused on the built environment and led participants through a walking tour of Alexandria, to illustrate how the built environment impacts health. Representatives from other communities from around the nation who are currently engaged in healthy communities work provided practical examples of solutions in schools, the worksite, health care settings, the community, including community-based institutions and community planning efforts.

Once they return home, CHART members will continue to work together to promote policy, system and environmental change strategies and conduct long- term planning that supports healthy living such as healthy school vending and food offerings, access to parks and walking and biking trails, construction of sidewalks and farmers markets, as well as systems improvements for people suffering from chronic diseases.

"By building healthy communities and supporting people in healthy living we can make a difference in the health of our nation" Dr. Giles said. "In our own backyards and downtowns is where we can make changes that will support families, employees, and our communities in reducing the horrible personal burden faced by our citizens and the economic cost to society of these chronic diseases." For more information on the ACHIEVE Initiative visit http://www.achievecommunities.org/ .

YMCA of the USA; National Association of Chronic Disease Directors

CONTACT: Kelly Kennai of YMCA of the USA, +1-202-835-9043,kelly.kennai@ymca.net; Wendy Alpine of Alpine Communications for NACDD,+1-770-321-6386, wendy@alpinepr.com; or Media Relations, CDC, +1-404-639-3286

Web site: http://www.achievecommunities.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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