The Nag Factor and Junk Food Ads

Follow the link below to an article that caught my eye recently. Yes this may have to do with the fact that I have two young kids who can be EXPERT naggers at the grocery store from time to time!

It's worth the read and might make you reconsider your take on Chester Cheetah.

Does anyone else remember a time when a certain OTHER company used an animated character to lure kids to use their product??

www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/16/nag-factor-junk-fund_n_928253.html

If only there could be a series of cool, hip health nut type characters that kids would flock to...

Dan River Partnership for a Healthy Community

This HCAT group in the greater Danville area is partnering with some fine folks at Virginia Tech to assess their existing nutrition environment and physical activity outlets. Click on the link below to read the news article about their efforts on GoDanRiver.com!

http://www2.godanriver.com/news/2011/aug/06/students-map-out-where-food-exercise-available-dan-ar-1221056/

Worldwide Day of Play

Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 24th as the Worldwide Day of Play!

Nickelodeon has invited groups across Virginia and the nation to "Get Up, Get Out and Go Play!" On this day, the Nickelodeon channels and website will go dark in an effort to encourage youth and families to turn off the tv and be active, especially outdoors. This is a collaborative effort with First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign and the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.

Now is the time to plan an event in your town - hold a dance off, games day, bike-a-thon, or water balloon fight for youth and families in your community. For more information or to register your group or event, visit www.nick.com/thebighelp/road-to-wwdop.html
Groups that register by September 14th will see their name scroll across tv screens tuned to Nickelodeon!

Galax Bike Rodeo

Three cheers for the Twin County Healthy Communities Action Team (HCAT) for their recent Bike Rodeo event!

This new HCAT was delighted to have state Senator Roscoe Reynolds pay a visit to their free, fun kids' bike rodeo on July 21st at Felts Park in Galax.

The team worked together to provide free bike helmets for participants, bike safety training, some nutritional information, a fun bike course and luckily some ice cold water for all.

Kudos to all of the groups who helped out - TurnKey KB & Associates, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Galax Police Department and others for making it happen!

PreventObesity.net

Want to connect with others working on family/childhood obesity initiatives? Take a look at www.preventobesity.net for ways to network online with other specialists in this field.

There's not much on the map yet for Southwest Virginia but if our HCAT-funded groups sign up and promote it to their coalition partners, local university researchers, volunteers and other wellness professionals, we could greatly increase our potential for collaboration and possibly coordinate efforts in the future.

VA County Health Rankings

Almost all of you seek out city/county level data for grant applications or to share with your community. These new County Health Rankings may be particularly helpful to you.

If you haven't already visited this site to see the Virginia map, click on the link below and find your county. You can get all kinds of cool data and see how your county stacks up against the rest of the state!

www.countyhealthrankings.org/virginia

Working on Substance Abuse Prevention/Treatment in SWVA?

If you answered YES, you must get a copy of this new resource.

This blueprint, developed by One Care of SWVA Inc. is a tremendous tool that can be shared with decision makers, community leaders and those working in the trenches of the substance abuse field here in SWVA.

It is the result of several regional planning meetings involving our local public health leaders, the faith community, colleges, universities, social services, and CSB professionals among others. This blueprint does a fantastic job of framing the substance abuse problem in our region and outlines a coordinated approach with goals and objectives that can help move SWVA into a healthier future.

I have several copies on hand and will happily send one to you if you're interested!