Key findings include:

• More than one-third of adults and almost 17% of youth were obese in 2009-2010
• There was no change in the prevalence of obesity among adults or children from 2007-2008 to 2009-2010
• Obesity prevalence did not differ between men and women
• Adults aged 60 and over were more likely to be obese than younger adults

We are not able to circulate papers, but if you have access through your library, you may find them here:

1999-2010 Childhood/Adolescent Obesity Data

http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/early/2012/01/11/jama.2012.40.full

1999-2010 Adult Obesity Data

http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/early/2012/01/11/jama.2012.39.full

Everyone, though, should have access to the CDC’s accompanying data brief: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db82.pdf You may find this to be a useful document to share with your collegues, partners, and organizational leadership as you make the case for more efforts in childhood (or adult) obesity prevention programming.

The ACMH Foundation, HEALTHY Armstrong and Armstrong School district are working jointly on this project. Each elementary school has received vouchers.  The Wellness Coordinator and/or the schoolnurse will identify students that can benefit from the voucher.  The voucher will be sent home with the student and the parent can use them at a number of different local grocery stores.  Local participating grocery
stores in the ASD area include Kittanning Shop N Save, Kittanning Foodland, Ford City Foodland, Ford City Riverside, and Elderton county Market.

The fruit and vegetable program is an excellent example of collaboration.  It promotes the mission of the Foundation by improving the health and wellbeing of Armstrong county
residents and it supports the goals of HEALTHY Armstrong to improve the health of families and help children maintain a healthy weight through improved nutrition and increased activity.

Apples don’t contain fat, cholesterol or sodium.  This is a plus for maintaining heart
health.  Apples do have lots of fiber and fiber helps promote heart health and maintain regularity.

A serving size of an apple is one large apple, ½ cup chopped, cooked or canned apple, 8 ounces of 100% apple juice, or ½ cup of applesauce.

Easy ways to add apples to you diet include stirring apples into hot or cold cereals for breakfast, or garnishing a green salad with diced apple cubes for color and flavor.  For an
afternoon energy boost, snack on an apple.

It is best to store apples in the refrigerator.  To slow browning once cut, coat apple slices
and dices in a mixture of one part lemon juice to three parts water.

Information from this article was taken from a brochure published by Pennsylvania Apples.  www.Pennsyapples.org

You remember the food guide pyramids, right? This ancient Egyptian shape was
the symbol of our nutrition recommendations for almost 20 years! Sadly, reports
showed that only a few Americans actually understood the old pyramids. Luckily,
2011 brought about a new tool called “MyPlate.” This tool is
meant to help Americans make healthier food choices. The plate is
simple and straightforward emphasizing just a few key points. It shows that we
should fill our plates with a little more than ¼ vegetables, a little less than
¼ fruit, ¼ grains, ¼ lean protein and a cup of fat-free or 1% milk. It serves
as a visual to guide our daily food choices and is paired with 10 tips for
making a great plate:

1. Balance your calories
2. Enjoy your food, but eat less
3. Avoid oversized portions
4. Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products
5. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
6. Switch to fat-free or 1% milk
7. Make half your grains whole grains
8. Eat fewer foods high in solid fat (saturated and trans), added sugars, and salt
9. Compare sodium in foods
10. 10.  Drink water instead of sugary drinks

Vegetables:

Dark-green, red and orange vegetables, beans and peas or 100% vegetable juice counts as a choice from the Vegetable Group. Vegetables can be either raw or cooked and can be fresh, frozen, or canned. The average adult should eat 2-3 cups of vegetables per day.

Fruits:

Fruit choices may be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried. Generally, 1 cup of fruit or 100% fruit, or ½ cup of dried fruit can be considered as 1 cup from the Fruit Group. Typically adults need around 1.5-2 cups of fruit each day.

Grains:

We should aim to make half of our grains whole grains. Look for the whole grain stamp and check your labels for key words like “whole wheat,” “whole meal,” or “whole corn”. Whole grains include popcorn, whole wheat and rye breads, brown rice, barley, oats, and buckwheat.

Milk/Dairy:

Make a switch to fat-free or low-fat milk. These choices have less fat and calories compared to whole milk or 2%, but the same amount of calcium and other essential nutrients. Try lactose-free milk or calcium-fortified soy beverages if you have trouble tolerating dairy products. Milk and dairy products should be consumed 3 times per day.

Meat and Protein:

Eat a variety of protein foods each week. These choices can be seafood, nuts and beans, lean meat, poultry and eggs. Try to make seafood the protein on your plate at least twice a week. Choose lean meat and poultry and make portion sizes small. It is recommended that adults eat 5‑6 ounces of meat per day.

Visit www.choosemyplate.gov for more information on MyPlate!

Want to know more about Let’s Move Pittsburgh? Check out the site at www.letsmovepittsburgh.org

According to Anita Caldwell, Senior Associate for the
National Association of Counties,“the session was well-received and it was great to hear
about the very notable results that have been achieved through the HEALTHY  Armstrong initiative.”  She thought it was important to hear about
prevention and wellness promotion efforts from a rural county.  Anita was impressed that Armstrong County was
recognized as the first We Can! county in the nation.

Kay Owen recognizes the efforts of former County
Commissioner Patricia Kirkpatrick for helping to make participation by HEALTHY
Armstrong and the county possible.  Owen
stated that it was an excellent opportunity to learn what other areas are doing
to promote health and to share our efforts as well.

Every secondary student in the Armstrong School District participated in some form of fitness testing throughout the school year.  All students participate in Body Mass Index (BMI) assessment in October/November annually and some students who are in PE class during school also participate in some additional fitness testing based on the school building’s plan.

HEALTHYArmstrong2010PEPY1Results(1)

Just 30 minutes of activity each day can keep your weight gain under control. Exercise also relieves stress, which you might be experiencing a lot of during the holidays, and makes you feel better about yourself. But exercise doesn’t have to be something exhausting or strenuous, and there are plenty of fun ways to keep yourself and the kids active during the holidays.

Making Time

During the holidays, it’s easy to find your schedule full of activities. For those with busy schedules, the best plan of action is to make exercise the first thing on your agenda. Working out first thing in the morning helps make exercise a priority. Working out in the evening can prove difficult because you have places to go and people to see—and plenty of time throughout the day to come up with excuses for why you can’t exercise.
Remember, just 30 minutes a day is enough to keep in shape. If you have trouble finding time, try to spread those 30 minutes into three 10-minute workouts over the course of the day. Ten minutes is enough for a simple workout routine that includes jogging, jumping jacks, jump rope, or weights.

Out for a Walk

Walking is a low-impact activity that offers limited strain, making it great for everyone in the family. The great thing about walking is that it can be done just about anywhere: the mall, the local high school track, a parking lot, or just around the block. During those holiday shopping trips, park a little further away to extend the amount of walking you have to do (and avoid fighting over parking with other holiday shoppers).

Get creative and include your family. Take a nature walk during the day and explore the natural beauty around you. If the area is familiar enough, you can set up a scavenger hunt for the little ones. After an especially filling dinner, take a walk around the block with the family. You can stay active while taking a look at all of the holiday decorations in the neighborhood.

Incorporating Chores

We have all experienced the tiring effects of doing chores around the house. As strange as it might seem, doing those tedious chores is also a great way to burn some calories. Grab a shovel and clear that snow in your driveway, or rake those leaves scattered across the front yard.

Just walking around your house can be considered a physical activity:

• Walk up and down the steps
• Carry your laundry
• Sweep the floor
• Clean those windows (yes—even the top corners!)

Aside from burning some calories, these activities will help your home look clean and tidy and leave you more room for holiday fun.

Holiday Activities

While some people assume “physical activity” means sweating it out at the gym, many of the fun holiday activities you do with your family could quite easily be exercise.

Spending an evening out ice skating is sure to get your heart pumping, but you might not even notice with all the fun you’re having (or the falling you might be doing). The same could be said of skiing and snowboarding, both of which are great workouts for your legs and heart.

Even more unconventional holiday activities could help you burn some calories. Going out for an evening of caroling is a classic way to spread the holiday cheer while getting your butt off the couch. A holiday dance party will keep everyone happy, moving, and grooving for hours on end.

Playing in the Snow

Snow doesn’t fall in all parts of the United States, but it can make for some fun physical activities if you find yourself in a winter wonderland.

• Making a snowman (or snowwoman) takes a lot of work, exercising your muscles and your heart perfectly.
• Gather your family and friends for a good old-fashioned snow ball fight. All of that running, ducking, and throwing burns several hundred calories per hour. Keep it safe—no hard-packed snowballs, no ice, and faces are off limits.
• Even making snow angels works out your upper and lower body.
• Sledding is great because in order to enjoy the fun of flying down the hill, you have to walk up first—and everyone will want several turns. Add challenge by making your own trail up the hill. The resistance of walking through untouched snow offers a great workout!

Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself

As important as working out is, understand that the holidays are here, and that means spending time with your family and friends. When it comes to your well-being, it’s important to keep a proper balance between your social activities and your physical care. Be sure to squeeze in some fun physical activity, but make sure you enjoy every moment of the holiday season, too.

-Anonymous