Shape Up America! Newsletter
Honor and empower the women in your life:
Visit the Revolution
Health Women's Health Expo
This Mother's Day, and throughout the month
of May, Shape Up America! is partnering with
Revolution Health to bring attention to
women's health issues via the first national
online Women's Health Expo. Revolution
Health's online Women's Health Expo
will feature 11 health issues
showcasing tools and resources from select
nonprofit organizations that can directly
impact women and their families.
Shape Up America! is hosting a "virtual"
health booth with tips, tools and valuable
information to help women reach a healthy
weight. The Shape Up America! "virtual" booth
features our Cyberkitchen, Fitness Center and
more, so you can make healthy eating and
physical activity work for you.
To inspire more women to focus on their own
health and to help us increase the visibility
of Shape Up America! and its mission,
Revolution Health is providing donations of
up to $10,000 for visits to each of the
nonprofits' health booths. Visit the Shape Up
America! booth at the Women's
Health Expo
often, and encourage the women in your life
to visit, too!
England Vows to Halt and Reverse Obesity Epidemic
by Barbara J. Moore, PhD
Like other developed countries, England is in
the grip of an obesity epidemic: two-thirds
of adults and one-third of children are
either overweight or obese, and rates of
diabetes and other diseases associated with
obesity are skyrocketing. The English health
care system, called the National Health
Service (NHS), is feeling the burden of
excess costs due to diseases associated with
rising rates of obesity, such as diabetes,
high blood pressure and heart disease. To
address this pressing problem, in January
2008, Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced a
"new ambition" to reverse the epidemic by
2020. This initiative requires a complete
revolution on all levels of society, with
planning, budgetary allocations and
monitoring of progress on an unprecedented
scale and scope.
Here, we provide some highlights of the new
program, which takes a "life-course" approach
aimed at long-term prevention of excess
weight1:
Pregnancy Counseling
- Assess all pregnant women, especially
those already overweight or obese, by the
12th week of pregnancy to insure they receive
proper support and counseling on optimal diet
and lifestyle, healthy weight gain and their
baby's growth and development.
Breastfeeding of Infants
- Promote EXCLUSIVE breastfeeding as the
optimal way to feed newborn babies and
infants up to 6 months of age.
- Hospital maternity units to adopt
UNICEF's baby-friendly hospital
initiative.*
- Monitor infant growth with the World
Health Organization (WHO) growth
charts2 for
breastfed babies 0 to 2 years old.
- Institute worksite policies to support
breastfeeding mothers by providing an
appropriate place for expressing and storing
breast milk during the workday.
- Launch a campaign to delay weaning
until 6 months of age through hospitals,
worksites and the media to enforce the
message that breastfeeding is the optimal
mode of infant feeding for healthy growth and
development.
- Establish a National Helpline for
breastfeeding mothers for problem-solving and
support.
- Coach health care professionals to
champion breastfeeding and support parents
who choose to breastfeed their child.
- Establish a visiting nurse program for
the provision of intensive support and
problem-solving to breastfeeding mothers.
*A maternity facility can be designated
"baby-friendly" when it does not accept free
or low-cost breastmilk substitutes, and has
implemented 10
specific steps to support
successful breastfeeding.
Pre-School Environment
- Nurseries and day care centers to
participate in a compulsory program to insure
there are ample opportunities for physical
activity and that all meals, snacks and
drinks will be healthy, balanced and
nutritious.
- Evaluate programs by collecting data on
heights, weights and body mass index (BMI) of
school children, starting with kindergarten,
through the National Child Measurement
Programme (NCMP).
- Report each child's weight status to
parents.
Schools
- Establish healthy lunch box policies
and nutrition standards for school lunches.
- Make cooking a compulsory part of the
curriculum by 2011 for all 11 to
14-year-olds.
- Develop tailored programs to increase
participation of obese and overweight pupils
in physical education and sports.
Community
- Invest £140 million (roughly $280
million) to improve the cycling
infrastructure and build cycling skills,
especially in areas with high prevalence of
child overweight.
- Empower local authorities to manage the
proliferation of fast food outlets especially
near parks and schools.
- Invest £30 million (roughly $60
million) in a Healthy Towns initiative to
promote physical activity.
Advertising, Media and Entertainment
Industries
- Review advertising of unhealthy foods
to children by July 2008 and report findings
as soon as possible.
- In partnership with the food and beverage
industry and other stakeholders, adopt a
Health Food Code of Good Practice to reduce
consumption of saturated fat, sugar and salt.
- Invest £75 million (roughly $150 million)
in a marketing program to inform, support and
empower parents to make changes in their
children's diet and levels of physical
activity.
- Invest in a Walking into Health campaign to
get one-third of England walking at least
1000 more steps per day by 2012.
- Work with the entertainment technology
industry to develop tools for parents to
monitor and manage the time children spend
playing sedentary games online.
Worksites
- Work with employers to develop and test
wellness programs and incorporate healthy
workplaces as part of the core business
model.
- Test the use of financial incentives to
encourage healthy living and weight
management.
National Health Service (NHS)
- Develop well-being assessments through
the NHS to provide personal health advice and
lifestyle management that is tailored to the
individual.
- Develop the NHS Choices website to offer
clear and consistent information on how to
maintain a healthy weight and personalized
advice on diet and activity.
- Commission and fund more weight management
services over the next 3 years.
Invest in Research
- Within the family of public health
institutions, establish the Obesity
Observatory to improve our understanding of
the causes and consequences of overweight and
to build the evidence for what works in
tackling excess weight.
- Allocate an additional £372 million
(roughly $740 million) covering 2008 to 2011
for promotion of the achievement and
maintenance of healthy weight, in addition to
the specific allocations mentioned above.
The evidence suggests that this type of
far-sighted comprehensive program that
addresses the problem of obesity on all
levels of society and in all places where
people live and work and go to school is what
is needed here in the U.S. When the
Institute of Medicine published its landmark
report on the prevention of childhood
obesity,3 it called for precisely
this type
of approach and monetary investment on the
part of the U.S. federal, state and local
governments. National leadership on this
pressing issue has yet to emerge in the U.S.
as it has in England.
Barbara J. Moore, PhD, is President and
CEO of Shape Up America!
Triceps - Part II (Chair Exercises)
by Michael Roussell
This is Part II in a series devoted to
strengthening and toning the triceps muscle
in the upper arm.
(Part
I was introduced last month.) Here, we've
selected an exercise that can be done while
sitting in a chair or wheelchair.
This exercise puts two seated movements
together in what is known as a "superset" to
work both the triceps (the back of your arms)
and the shoulders. To complete this exercise,
all you need is a chair and one soup can (or
a tightly sealed filled water bottle) that
you can grip firmly in your hand. To start
with, select a weight that allows you to
complete the superset at least once. As you
grow stronger, you can increase the weight.
If you have a dumbbell, you can use it in
place of the soup can or water bottle.
The first movement in the sequence is an
overhead triceps extension. Place the weight
in your left hand and, without moving your
shoulders, extend your arm straight above
your head. This is the starting position.
Keep the part of your arm from the elbow to
the shoulder still and bend your arm at the
elbow and lower the weight behind your head.
This is the midpoint of the movement. Pause
for 1 second and reverse the movement,
straightening out your arm again. Repeat this
movement 7 more times for a total of 8 reps.
The second movement is a shoulder press. You
will start the movement with the weight in
your left hand, with your arm folded next to
your body so that the hand with the weight in
it is resting on your left shoulder. Now
press your arm straight up above your head,
pausing at the top for 1 second. Lower the
weight back down to your shoulder. That is 1
rep. Repeat this movement 7 more times.
Now start over with the weight in your right
hand. Complete the superset of 8 reps of each
movement with your right arm.
What makes this a "superset"? A superset is
two movements done back to back with little
to no rest in between. The chart below
outlines how the workout should progress.
| Left
Arm |
| Overhead Triceps Extension x 8
reps |
| Little to No Rest |
| Shoulder Press x 8 reps |
| Little to No Rest |
| Switch
Arms |
| Right
Arm |
| Overhead Triceps Extension x 8
reps |
| Little to No Rest |
| Shoulder Press x 8 reps |
| Little to No Rest |
| Rest 90-120 seconds and
repeat entire
superset 2 more times |
You will notice that I specify "Little to No
Rest" between movements. You should tailor
your rest periods to your own personal
fitness level. Starting out, you may need to
take longer rest periods but as you develop a
higher level of fitness, you can shorten the
rest time. The key with exercise is to push
yourself to work hard enough to increase your
heart rate but, at the same time, to listen
to your body so that you don't over do it.
Like other resistance exercises, these
exercises should be done no more than two or
three times per week.
Walk from Obesity
On June 17, 2008, the Obesity Action
Coalition and the American Society for
Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) will
be co-hosting Walk from Obesity —
Walk on the Capitol on the National Mall
in Washington,
DC. The purpose of the Walk is to raise
public and government awareness of the
obesity epidemic and to call for expanded
government efforts to address obesity, its
consequences and treatments.
This free event begins at 6.30 P.M. and is
open to the public. Several thousand
participants are expected to attend. For more
details on the Walk or how you can show your
support, visit Walk
on the Capitol, call 800-717-3117 or
e-mail info@walkonthecapitol.com.
Menus for Weight Loss and Healthy Eating
Shape Up America! offers these simple,
convenient 1500
calorie and 2000
calorie menus to help
you eat healthfully while controlling your
calories. If you have any suggestions or
comments, feel free to e-mail us at
newsletter@shapeup.org.
My Story
Darla saw pain-free results when she
changed her eating habits and walked her way
to much-improved health.
I am a 49-year-old female who decided I
better educate myself on heart and breast
health to save my life. I started eating
whole grains, low-fat dairy, fruits and
vegetables, lean meats and natural foods. I
never go hungry. I have been walking an hour
a day for 6 months. As a result I lost 15
pounds and my cholesterol went down 46
points. I walked through back, hip, knee and
feet pain. Now I am strong and seldom have
pain. I would say every step and food choice
was worth it. Wouldn't you?
P.S. Spend a couple of dollars on your shoes
for padded sole inserts and keep walking!
If you would like to share your personal
success story and be an inspiration to others
who desire to lose weight, simply use our story
submission system on the SUA Web site.
Recipe of the Month
Salmon is rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fats. This tasty dish is an ideal choice for a nutritious, quick-fix meal.
Lemon Dijon Salmon
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 4 (4 oz.) salmon fillets
- 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
- Lemon slices as garnish
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Whisk mustard, 1 tablespoon olive oil,
lemon juice, salt and pepper together in a
small bowl. Set aside.
- Place salmon fillets on baking sheet
lined with aluminum foil, brushed lightly
with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Spread mustard
mixture evenly over topside of each salmon
fillet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish
flakes with a fork. Sprinkle evenly with dill
and garnish with lemon slices.
Nutritional analysis per serving: 260
calories, 17 grams total fat, 3 grams
saturated fat, 1 gram carbohydrate, 23 grams
protein, 0 grams dietary fiber, 390
milligrams sodium
Source: American Institute
for Cancer Research
