Surgeon General in Indiana For Obesity Prevention

Press Release

Indianapolis, Ind. -- Today, Acting U.S. Surgeon General Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H. made a stop at Douglass Park in Indianapolis on his nationwide tour to promote the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Initiative.

The "Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future" initiative focuses on recognizing and showcasing those communities throughout the nation that are addressing childhood overweight and obesity prevention by helping kids stay active, encouraging healthy eating habits, and promoting healthy choices.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to visit communities across the country, like Indianapolis, and meet first-hand with those actively engaged in finding ways to prevent childhood overweight and obesity," said Dr. Galson. “It is so good to hear of the progress being made here in Indiana to reduce the burden of obesity and prevent obesity in children.”

Dr. Galson presented awards to Indianapolis Public Schools Howe Academy’s “PE4life” program and the Lawrence Township School Foundation’s “My Community Gets Health” program for their efforts to fight childhood obesity by encouraging physical activity.

Howe Academy has a state of the art fitness center with cardio bikes, cross trainers, and a treadmill. The “PE4life” program encourages students to be physically active through physical education classes and after school activities. “My Community Gets Health” strives to offer a comprehensive, scalable, sustainable fitness and wellness program for students and parents. It includes the “Up and Running” program, a nationally recognized, structured marathon training program that culminated this year with students participating in the Geist Half Marathon on May 17.

Dr. Galson was joined by State Health Commissioner Judy Monroe, M.D., who discussed the status of obesity in Indiana and announced a five-year grant award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for statewide nutrition, physical activity, and obesity prevention efforts. In the first year, the State Department of Health’s Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity will receive $435,000, which will be used to develop capacity and infrastructure needed for the work that will be completed in years 2 to 5.

According to Dr. Monroe, for the third year in a row the rate of adult obesity in Indiana has remained constant. In fact, between 2006 and 2007, Indiana’s state ranking for obesity dropped from 10th to 21st in the nation. In comparison, 78 percent of states reported increases in adult obesity rates between 2006 and 2007. Indiana was one of the few states who did not have an increase in adult obesity. The percent of obese adults in Indiana nearly doubled between 1990 and 2005.

“Good leadership is vital to addressing the epidemic of obesity in Indiana and across the nation,” said Dr. Monroe. “Under the leadership of Gov. Mitch Daniels and his INShape Indiana health initiative, we are beginning to see some positive changes. We have taken an important first step towards reducing the burden of obesity in Indiana – slowing the tidal wave. The challenge now is to build on the progress we’ve made.”

According to the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, there is an increase in the percent of high school students who were physically active for a total of at least 60 mins/day most days of the week. In addition, the percent of Indiana high school students who watched three or more hours per day of TV on an average school day is decreasing.

“None of the positive behavior changes we’ve seen in young people would be possible without the grassroots support of local communities and schools like the Indianapolis Public Schools and the Lawrence Township School Foundation,” said Dr. Monroe.

According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, between 2005 and 2007 there was a significant decrease in the percentage of adult Hoosiers who are inactive. In particular, there was a substantial increase in physical activity among Indiana adults aged 35 to 44 (from 71.3 percent to 81.2 percent).

“We hope to see even more positive behavioral changes in adults and to see additional improvements in the eating habits of all Hoosiers,” said Dr. Monroe. “An important step in making that possible is having support on the federal level and the leadership of federal officials like Dr. Galson.”

Additional information on the Surgeon General's Initiative can be found online at: www.surgeongeneral.gov/obesityprevention.html.

Source: Indiana State Department of Health

Humana Launches New Games for Better Health

Monday, 19 May 2008

Humana Inc. recently launched a new website with the focus on games for health. The website, www.humanagames.com, is part of an initiative created to encourage customers to have better fitness through game technology. The new website launched in conjunction with the fourth annual national Games for Health Conference held in Baltimore, Maryland. “We’re pleased to be moving forward in this exciting new space so quickly with these latest initiatives,” said Paul Puopolo, director of consumer innovation at Humana. “We are committed to creating new ways for people of all ages to reach new levels of health through games and entertainment.” The site serves as an interactive brochure, providing information on Humana’s programs, mission and vision, as well as details on the health benefits of game technology. Users can explore a discoverable environment that highlights the many applications of games with healthy benefits. Also included are instructions on how to contact Humana’s Games for Health team to partner on future game development or to order games from the program. At the Games for Health Conference, Humana ran the keynote panel with other health insurers to assess opportunities to use games for improving health. The health insurance company also hosted the “Exergaming Expo Room,” as well as a space for health game developers and others in the industry to discuss new ideas. The Louisville, KY-based health insurance company piloted the new program with schools near its headquarters. The premise of the study was to combine student fitness and game technology. One of the games, the HorsePower Challenge, had 100 middle school students from five middle schools in Louisville wear pedometers for four weeks. The students level of activity was measured and recorded. At the end of the challenge, the middle-schoolers had walked a combined 6,364 miles, a 10% increase over the previous four week period. 62% of the participants reported they had increased their amount of exercise and over half said that they had convinced their families to join them. Nearly half (45%) said that they had started eating healthier. In the game, the students' logged activity powered a virtual school bus past various world landmarks. Students were able to customize their school’s online bus and their online characters from points they earned by reaching certain milestones. St. Athanasius School won the challenge and received two game bikes. The other schools received gift cards for sporting equipment. In the latter part of 2007, a similar study was conducted in Florida. This study, which is still running, uses dance pad technology as a variable. Dance pad technology is where an electronic dance mat is substitued for a mouse or a game controller to play the game. These students have continued to expand their programs' reach throughout the school. Dr. Miguel Encarnacao, director of Emerging Technology Applications for Humana and architect of its Games for Health initiative said, "If we want to make use of Games to the fullest extent as a medium to improve health and health behavior, we need to continue the interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration between the healthcare industry, research communities, game developers and other stakeholders." Humana’s next idea involves a study at three senior facilities around the country. Healthy seniors will be evaluated on exercise games that integrate dance pad technology for an older population.