Dilbert, drop that pastry!  More and more workplaces are serving nutritious canteen fare. Their aim: to slim down their staff and save money on healthcare.
By Francesca Lunzer Kritz, Special to The Times, June 19, 2006
Employees in the New York City offices of Porter Novelli, a public relations firm with branches across the country, now have an alternative snack to what's offered at the fast-food chains that ring their building near New York's Grand Central Station. Each week, kitchens in the company's three floors of office space are filled with baskets of oranges, apples and a rotating "guest fruit." Recent offerings included kiwis and bananas, along with information from the office manager (who thought up the fruit bonus) about the special item's nutrients as well as eating tips, such as using a spoon to scoop out the kiwi.  http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-officefood19jun19,1,5009784.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
 

Check out the Spring/Summer 2006 edition of the Steps E-Newsletter. In an effort to provide the latest information to you in a convenient format, the E-Newsletter also will be posted on the new Steps Program web site at www.cdc.gov/steps,
 

American Medical Association's Recommendations on Processed, Restaurant Foods Examined
The Baltimore Sun on Friday examined the American Medical Association's recent recommendations that the federal government regulate the salt content of processed and restaurant foods. AMA would like salt in such foods to be reduced by at least 50% over the next decade because of concerns that high salt intake contributes to hypertension and an increased risk of heart disease. The federal government recommends that adults consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. AMA estimates that 95% of U.S. men ages 31 to 50 consume more than the recommendation.  Seventy-five to 80% of salt consumed by U.S. residents comes from processed and restaurant foods, the Sun reports. James Rohack, a cardiologist and immediate past chair of AMA's board of trustees, said, "That's almost half the population that (has) a condition that can be helped by industry doing things that are right, like letting consumers know how much of a potentially harmful substance is in the food they're buying and consuming in restaurants." However, Richard Hanneman, president of the Salt Institute, said AMA's recommendations are "scientifically unjustified and a waste of time and money." Hanneman said carefully controlled studies on the effects of salt intake should be conducted instead. Michael Alderman, a professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and president of the International Society of Hypertension, said reducing salt levels by a large amount could have unintended consequences for people's health. He added, "It's simplistic to say that all people, under all circumstances, all genes and behaviors should eat less salt. It sounds a bit dubious" (Roylance, Baltimore Sun, 6/23).
 

New York Times Examines 'Optimism' About Four New Medications
The New York Times on Friday examined how four new diabetes medications -- Byetta, Exubera, Galvus and Januvia -- "are generating optimism among doctors" based on positive data presented earlier this month at the annual conference of the American Diabetes Association. According to some physicians, the "new drugs are important additions to the treatment arsenal because they work differently from existing diabetes medicines and have relatively mild side effects," the Times reports. John Buse, director of the diabetes center at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and vice president of ADA, said, "There's cause for tremendous optimism. We have the drugs to basically control diabetes in 90%-plus of patients." Analysts also predict that the four new medications, which likely will cost between $1,500 and $2,000 annually per patient, each will have annual sales of $1 billion. In recent years, pharmaceutical companies have "invested heavily" in the development of new diabetes medications, a market expected to reach at least $25 billion worldwide by 2011, the Times reports. However, some physicians have questioned the safety and effectiveness of the new medications (Berenson, New York Times, 6/22).
 

Cascadia Scorecard 2006: Focus on Sprawl & Health
(Wednesday, June 21, 2006 )
Sightline Institute (formerly Northwest Environment Watch) has just released the third edition of the Cascadia Scorecard, a regional gauge of progress that tracks seven key trends shaping the Northwest.  This year’s Scorecard spotlights an emerging body of research indicating that car-centered sprawl contributes to the region's leading health risks, including a high car-crash fatality rate and a high obesity rate. And residents of neighborhoods that encourage foot traffic are healthier--and safer as well.  http://www.sightline.org/research/cascadia_scorecard/res_pubs/cs2006/
 

“Crackdown on traffic violators part of effort to protect walkers”

San Francisco Chronicle (06/29/06) Robert Selna

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/06/29/BAGDHJMH2J1.DTL

Pedestrians in San Francisco will get more protection beginning this month as the city’s police and public health departments launch a campaign to reduce injuries and deaths among walkers. According to Anna Zacher of the San Francisco Injury Center, the city has the fourth highest number of pedestrian injuries among U.S. cities with populations greater than 500,000. Public Health Department records show that 769 pedestrians were injured in auto collisions in 2005 and 14 died. Pedestrian safety advocates say that, while the number of deaths was down last year from previous years, more people are driving cars in San Francisco, creating more potential for collisions. The new campaign will focus on two elements: more police officers focused exclusively on traffic violations, and a billboard and radio campaign informing drivers about the increased police presence and the need to obey traffic laws. According to Police Capt. Greg Corrales, “The officers will be writing a lot of citations for traffic violations, and we will be getting out the message that drivers have to slow down … [and] have to stop at red lights and yield to pedestrians.” Officers will also conduct undercover operations, posing as pedestrians, to catch traffic violators. The campaign is funded by grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety, which also funded research showing that San Francisco drivers did not believe police were aggressively enforcing traffic laws and that commuters drove more recklessly when they entered the city limits.
 

“Kids in car? Don’t light up”

San Jose Mercury News (06/29/06) Edwin Garcia

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/health/14928174.htm

A California Senate committee approved a bill (AB 379) last week that would prohibit people from smoking in cars where a child passenger is secured in a safety seat. The approval came one day after the U.S. Surgeon General released a report showing that even brief exposure to secondhand smoke can cause immediate harm. Under the bill, violators who smoke in a car containing a secured child -- even if the car is parked, and even if it is on private property -- would receive a warning for the first offense and a $100 fine the next time they are caught. The law would not apply if the child were older than age six, the age at which children are no longer required to sit in safety seats. A similar bill failed to pass the Senate two years ago, but the current effort is bolstered by recent studies showing the effects of secondhand smoke on children, including high rates of bronchitis, pneumonia, and asthma. Opponents of the bill voiced concern over the state regulating “private space” and interfering with personal choice. Sen. George Runner suggested the bill was inconsistent because it did not prohibit smoking in cars with older children. But health organizations praised the measure. According to Brendan Twohig of the American Heart Association, “A recent study published by the Pediatrics journal confirmed that more children die of secondhand smoke exposure than all other accidental causes of injury and death combined. We see AB 379 as an extension of California’s commitment to protecting the health of our most vulnerable population, our children.”
 

USA Today (06/27/06) Emily Bazar

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-06-26-recess-bans_x.htm

Across the country, elementary schools are banning traditional playground games, citing fears of broken bones and other injuries. This year, schools in Wyoming and Washington banned tag at recess; others now prohibit contact sports such as soccer and touch football. Freedom Elementary School in Cheyenne, Wyoming, banned tag because it “progresses easily into slapping and hitting and pushing instead of just touching,” said Principal Cindy Farwell. According to a Charleston County (South Carolina) schools spokeswoman, another school banned contact sports because children suffered broken arms and dislocated fingers. Some schools that ban games at recess allow them in gym class, where children can be better supervised. Opponents of the bans say limiting exercise and free play can inhibit a child’s social and physical development. According to critics, play helps children learn to negotiate rules and resolve disputes. “You’re taking away the physical development of the children,” said Joe Frost, emeritus professor of early childhood education at the University of Texas-Austin. “Having time for play is essential for children to keep their weight under control.”
 

 “School boards adopt wellness policies; Nation, state require completion by Saturday”

Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (06/25/06) Kelly Soderlund

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/news/14897259.htm?source=rss&channel=journalgazette_news

This week, several new federal and state laws take effect that are designed to curb childhood obesity, promote healthy foods, and encourage exercise. The federal government is requiring school boards to adopt wellness policies by July 1 as part of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. Any school that receives federal funds to provide free or reduced-cost lunches must adopt a wellness policy, though the law does not specify what the policy should say. School districts have until the beginning of the school year to implement the new policies. In most school districts, the policies are being drafted by committees that include health professionals, teachers, parents, school nurses, and food service workers. The committees are looking at portion sizes in school cafeteria meals, rules for vending machines, and physical education classes. “Probably the biggest difference is simply awareness and more education, [and] nutrition education for students. We’re looking at it as kind of a springboard for continuing what we’re doing as far as wellness,” said Bill Mallers, business manager for Northwest Allen County Schools in Indiana. An Indiana law with the same premise as the federal law also takes effect on Saturday. Indiana Senate Bill 111 addresses the contents and availability of vending machines and requires the removal of fruit punch, soda, coffee, and tea from cafeteria menus.
 

Associated Press     (06/27/06)     Lauran Neergaard

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060627/ap_on_sc/involuntary_smoking_1

U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona yesterday released a long-awaited report on the dangers of secondhand smoke. Carmona said some 126 million nonsmokers are exposed to “involuntary smoking,” putting them at increased risk of death from heart disease, lung cancer, and other illnesses. The report, entitled The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, says separate smoking sections do not adequately protect nonsmokers from the hazards of secondhand smoke -- only smoke-free buildings and public places truly protect them. In addition, the report says there is no risk-free level of exposure to someone else’s cigarette smoke. “Exposure to secondhand smoke remains an alarming public health hazard. Nonsmokers need protection through the restriction of smoking in public places and workplaces,” said Carmona. The report also cites conclusive evidence that comprehensive smoking bans, like those in New York City and Boston, do not economically hurt the hospitality industry. The last surgeon general’s report on this topic, issued in 1986, declared secondhand smoke a cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. The new report provides scientific support for comprehensive state and local smoking bans. “There is no longer a scientific controversy that secondhand smoke is a killer,” said Carmona, adding that the report “eliminates any excuse from any state or city for taking halfway measures to restrict smoking….”

Empowering Older People to Take More Control of Their Health through Evidence-Based Prevention Programs:  A Public/Private Collaboration
The deadline date for submission of a letter of intent is July 15, 2006.
The deadline date for submission of applications is August 31, 2006.
Under this announcement, Administration on Aging (AoA) will be making competitive grants available to the states of up to $300,000 per year for up to 3 years to support the local implementation of evidence-based programs, like chronic disease self management and fall prevention, in at least three geographic areas within their states. Applications must include letters of support from the Governor to ensure states view this effort as part of their overall prevention strategy.  The grantee can be either a state agency on aging or state health department, but both agencies must be involved as full partners. At the community level, the evidence-based intervention will be delivered through one of our local aging services providers, such as a senior center, congregate meal program, senior housing project, or faith-based organization. Once we select our states, Atlantic will then provide additional support to up to 5 states to help them developed a permanent infrastructure to support the on-gong statewide deployment of such programs, focusing initially on the statewide deployment of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program that was developed by Stanford University with funding from AHRQ.  http://www.aoa.gov/doingbus/fundopp/fundopp.asp - AoA link: describes funding and Program Announcement
 

March of Dimes 2007 Community Grants
Letters of Intent Due:  August 28, 2006
Enhancing preconception/inter-conception education and support services for women at high-risk due to previous poor outcomes, chronic conditions (i.e. diabetes, hypertension) or other risk factors.  Full RFP: http://www.marchofdimes.com/washington/7396_20234.asp
 

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation:  Fresh Ideas: Community-Based Approaches to Improve Care for Vulnerable Populations grant program.
Deadline: Rolling
The purpose of this program is to promote community-based approaches to health and health care problems that interact with social problems. Examples include inadequate housing, poor education and poverty. Priority is given to projects that focus on hard-to-reach populations such as new immigrants and refugees and at-risk adolescents. Eligible applicants include organizations that are outside the formal network of healthcare providers, such as grassroots organizations, faith-based organizations and advocacy organizations that are public entities or nonprofit organizations. Awards will be up to $300,000 for up to three years duration. For complete program information and application guidelines, please visit http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=19480
 

The Ultimate Wellness Challenge
Register Now for October 5, 2006, in Washington, D.C.
Action for Healthy Kids, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and working with the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Education, and other leading organizations, will inform, motivate, and mobilize support for school wellness – sound nutrition and physical activity – to support learning. Partners are working with districts, communities, and schools to host Game On!
 

CDC's 2006 National Health Promotion Conference
Join local, state and national public health leaders, businesses, communities, researchers,
policymakers, communicators, and other professionals to discuss new directions in health promotion.
Together, we will lay the foundation for a national public health agenda that is focused on the
broadest concepts of health promotion and wellness delivery.  The conference tracks include Nontraditional Partnerships; Innovative Approaches to Public Health Practice; Translating Science and Evaluating Results; Health Policy and Communications; Implementing Best Practices at the Local Level; and Emerging Issues and Hot Topics in Public Health. Hilton Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, September 12-14, 2006
Visit www.cdc.gov/cochp for updates and more information.
 

80th Annual American School Health Association (ASHA) Conference
The 2006 conference theme is Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds: The Mental Health Connection will be held, October 11 - 14, 2006 in St. Louis, Missouri. Many Programs will address identifying the causes of mental health problems among children and youth, emerging prevention or intervention strategies, the interactions between mental health and other educational and health outcomes, and/or practical approaches to school-based prevention or intervention. For registration or exhibit information, contact: Mary Bamer Ramsier at - mbramsier@ashaweb.org
 

Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations
October 17-20, 2006, Renaissance Hotel, 515 Madison Street, Seattle, WA.  For more information: www.diversityRx.org/ccconf ,  e-mail: ccconf@drexeledu or call 215-762-7638.  Please note that February 28, 2006 is deadline for submitting presentation proposal.
 

National Prevention Summit: Prevention, Preparedness, and Promotion
Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill Washington, D.C., October 26–27, 2006
Registration Now Open (http://www.seeuthere.com/rsvp/invitation/invitation.asp?id=/m2c666-248006195553) Building on last year's 3rd National Prevention Summit, the upcoming 2006 National Prevention Summit will focus on disease prevention, health preparedness, and health promotion and will feature innovative programs that are making a difference in communities across the country to build a HealthierUS. These programs are focused on healthy lifestyle choices—eating a nutritious diet, being physically active, making healthy choices, and getting preventive screenings—to help prevent major health threats and burdens such as obesity, diabetes, asthma, cancer, heart disease, and stroke. One special emphasis this year will be the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity. Another emphasis will be on preparing for public health emergencies, such as avian influenza.