For the first time in 10 years, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has updated national physical activity guidelines with evidence-based recommendations for everyone ages three and up to get the physical activity they need to stay healthy. I am excited about these updated guidelines as they support actions outlined in the [...]
I am delighted to share an amazing example of a successful public-private partnership in Goodyear that showcases how to develop a healthy community through design of the physical environment. The partnership is launching the Community Health Park and has created new web pages to provide updates on the park's progress. This project is consistent with [...]
With the New Year just days away you might be like me, considering what you will resolve to do in 2017. Many times we set out to eat better and be more active but sometimes lose steam throughout the year. To be successful, divide big and vague goals like, “I will eat better” [...]
This week the Arizona Nutrition Network is launching a new public awareness campaign called “Put a Little Play Into Your Day” to increase physical activity throughout Arizona. The effort is an important step in addressing obesity, one of Arizona’s leading health priorities identified in the Arizona Health Improvement Plan. We know that physical [...]
When I was younger, my grandmother gave me two books, and I don’t think she realized they ended up shaping my career. After reading Outbreak (by Robin Cook) and Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC (by Joseph McCormick and Susan Fisher-Hoch), I was hooked on working in public health. After learning more about what [...]
While many parts of the country are still in the throes of extreme winter weather, here in Arizona, we're seeing warmer temperatures and beautiful weather. This is the time of year Arizonans are outside getting active. It's a great time to go for bike rides, take walks around the neighborhood, get the kids and dogs out [...]
Half of the adults in the United States are living with a chronic disease which includes heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. Chronic diseases are the leading causes of death in the U.S. The way to reduce this trend may just be a step away. Step It Up! The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote [...]
With our Annual Report coming up soon, I was surfing the web to get some ideas last night and ran across our 1920 ADHS Annual Report. Call me a public health geek, but I couldn’t put my iPad down. The Annual Report covers our agency activities that year- things like our new (1919) Midwifery regulations, [...]
A new report released this week from the CDC shows nearly half of adults with disabilities who are able to do aerobic physical activity don’t get any… putting them at a greater risk for chronic diseases. The report showed that adults with disabilities are three times more likely to have heart disease, stroke, diabetes or [...]
The passage of the Farm Bill (the Agricultural Act of 2014) includes some changes and reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. In Arizona, SNAP benefits help put healthy food on the table for more than one million people each month, with more than half of the benefits going to [...]
