Blueprint Partners Progress Newsletter: August 2005

In This Issue

Save the Date: International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health
Reminder: National Blueprint Conference in October
New Organization Committed to Advancing Scientific Knowledge of Obesity
Arthritis Information for Hispanic Seniors
National Women’s Health Information Center has New Web Address
Research: E-mail Can Promote Physical Activity

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Save the Date
The International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health will be held on April 17-20, 2006 in Atlanta, GA. This event will commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the release of the landmark U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health. Key scientific and programmatic advances in the field in the past 10 years will be emphasized and the direction of future research will be discussed. Abstracts and contributed papers will be accepted for presentation. The Congress is hosted by the Physical Activity and Health Branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Reminder: National Blueprint Conference
The National Blueprint Conference will be held on October 12-13 in Urbana, IL. Meeting information will be sent to Blueprint partners soon.

New Organization Committed to Advancing Scientific Knowledge on Obesity
Shaping America’s Health: Association for Weight Management and Obesity Prevention, based in Alexandria, VA, is a newly formed organization with the mission of providing leadership and information to help families and communities make improved nutrition and physical activity a priority. The organization will also issue new clinical guidelines and best practices for health care professionals.

Arthritis Information for Hispanic Seniors
NIA is offering a free fact sheet in Spanish about treatments for the common types of arthritis. The fact sheet, “Consejos Sobre la Artritis,” includes information about warning signs of arthritis, treatment methods, and resources. This and other Spanish publications on healthy aging are available on the NIA website.

National Women’s Health Information Center has New Web Address
The redesigned website provides a greater search capacity for a specific word or health topic.
www.womenshealth.gov

Research: E-mail Can Promote Physical Activity
Researchers at the University of Alberta tested the impact of e-mail sent to the workplace on encouraging people to eat healthier and to exercise. The intervention group received one physical activity message and one nutrition e-mail per week for 12 weeks. The e-mail group showed a small increase in total physical activity levels and in healthier eating habits. The study showed e-mail could be an effective way to encourage a healthier lifestyle. The study was published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, July/August 2005, Volume 19, Number 6.

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The Blueprint Partners Project is an initiative of the Active Aging Partnership. For more information, contact the Blueprint Partnership Office at the University of Illinois Department of Kinesiology.
Web site: www.agingblueprint.org