Center for Health Transformation Georgia Project

What's on Your Plate?

Thanks go to Ellen Langford from WellStar Health System for suggesting that I post a link to The Daily Plate.  The website is a great place to find out nutrional information about the foods you are eating, track what you eat and track your excercise.  Metrics are such a key to healthy living,  A few weeks of logging what you are eating and your daily exercise will answer that nagging question, "Why haven't I lost any weight?'  The site is also a great place to find the calorie and nutritional information on items as you plan your meals.

Microsoft HealthVault Be Well Program Launched in Columbus, GA

On Saturday, January 17th over one hundred middle school students, teachers, and citizens of Columbus,  Georgia participated in the launch of the Microsoft Be Well Program at the Soccer Pavilion at Columbus State University.  The program is a result of a grant from the Microsoft HealthVault Be Well Fund to the Columbus Research Foundation.

The program is aimed at improving diet choices and increasing activity in 7th graders.  Students from all 7th grade classes in Muscogee County will participate in a “Walk to Microsoft” contest. The students will log miles from their pedometers into the computer using an interactive map of the United States.  The first 7th grade class to reach Microsoft will be the grand prize winner.  Over 800 students have registered for the program.  

At the launch, 7th grade students received their pedometers and Be Well Columbus GA tee-shirts.  Activities on the soccer field included a hula hoop contest, sack race and tug of war.  Students were also greeted by Buzz, the Be Well Program mascot.

Columbus, Georgia is one of the Center for Health Transformation's 21st Century Healthy Communities.  The Be Well Program is one of several initiatives in Columbus, Georgia aimed at improving the health of the community.  For more information visit www.healthtransformation.net/cs/columbus_project. 

How Are You Getting in Shape This Year? Any 'Miis' out There?

I am a real fan of the Wii Fit product as a way to increase activity and get into shape.  I started with the Wii Fit software last June and have advanced to Jillan Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009.  Both programs allow you to set fitness goals and track your progress.  The workouts can be modified to meet your needs - from weight loss to strength training.  For me the 'defining moment'  was having to face the metrics - the Wii Balance Board doesn't lie.  Seeing the weight and BMI on the graph was a real wake up call.  The round little Mii wasn't so easy to face, either.  After 7 months my 'Mii' is looking better and so am I.  Let us know how you are meeting your fitness goals this year!

What is Your 'Real Age'?

As we begin a new year many of us are setting goals to improve our health.  One site that will help you assess your health status and identify changes that will lead to improvement is the Real Age web site.  Real Age, Inc is a consumer-health media company and provider of personalized health information and management tools.  Scientific advisors include Dr. Mehment Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen.  You may remember them as the authors of "You: The Owner's Manual," a book to educate the public on how the human body works, how it ages, and how to keep healthy and young.  Books and CDs followed that focused on diet and exercise.  The power of the website tools and publications is the practical approach to making changes to improve your health. 

Start your health improvement plan today by taking the Real Age test!  Compare your chronological age to your 'real age' as calculated from your answers to a questionnaire that explores your health habits and metrics and start on your path to a healthier you! 

Smoke-Free Ordinance Important Component of Interventions to Prevent Heart Disease Morbidity and Mortality

A study out of Pueblo, Colorado reported in MMWR suggests that the Pueblo smoke-free ordinance of 2003 not only led to an immediate decrease in hospitalizations from acute myocardial infarction [AMI or 'heart attack'] but the decrease continued over time.  Further studies are needed to validate these results but suggested reasons for the continued decrease in AMI hospitalizations include the immediate reduction in second hand smoke exposure among nonsmokers and increased quitting among smokers as a result of the ordinance and associated changes in social norms.

Other published studies have also demonstrated that smoke-free laws were associated with rapid, sizeable reductions in hospitalizations for AMI.  One study that included objective confirmation of patients' smoking status reported reductions of 21%, 19%, and 14% in the number of hospitalizations for acute coronary syndrome among never smokers, former smokers, and current smokers, respectively, in the year after implementation of a comprehensive national smoke-free law. The decrease in hospitalizations among nonsmokers accounted for 67% of the total decrease.

Exposure to second hand smoke has immediate adverse cardiovascular effects, and prolonged exposure can cause coronary heart disease.  As we continue to improve the health of our communities let's not forget smoke-free policies as an important component of our community interventions to prevent illness and death from heart disease.