HEAL-SLO » Featured

SLO resident makes long haul back from injury to her goal

Taylor — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:46:05 +0000

After her leg was mangled, Karen Aydelott chose amputation as the best way to return to the sports she loves

Read the rest of the story here.
By Cynthia Lambert at The Tribune & SanLuisObispo.com

In the early morning hours of Nov. 20, Karen Aydelott pulled on her wetsuit, tugged on two swim caps and got ready to plunge into the 61-degree waters of Arizona’s Tempe Town Lake with about 2,640 other people.

Aydelott, of San Luis Obispo, had arrived at the starting area of Ironman Arizona at 5 a.m., the same time the transition area opened for the long-distance triathlon.

Around her, hundreds of triathletes double-checked their gear and prepared for the start of a grueling race that includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run, in that order.

Aydelott was excited, but nervous. She’d competed in the same race the prior year, but dropped out 20 miles into the run. She ran 23 miles in a hilly Ironman race in Utah in May, but wasn’t able to finish in the required time.

Read the rest of the story here.

By Cynthia Lambert at The Tribune & SanLuisObispo.com

National Expert to Speak on Designing Healthy Communities

user — Tue, 03 May 2011 21:15:35 +0000

On Wednesday, May 18, San Luis Obispo County is fortunate to sponsor a talk by Dr. Richard Jackson, a national expert on the design of healthy communities. It will be held at Cal Poly in the Spanos Theater from 3-5pm.
Most of us know that we have an obesity epidemic in our country. Even in one of the “happiest places on earth”, recent data from the California Health Interview Survey found that only 37.3% of adults in SLO County were of normal weight – which is even less than the percentage of normal weight adults in the state. When addressing obesity and other chronic health conditions, many people focus on personal choices. Rarely do people look at the built environment as a causative factor. Yet increasingly, elected officials, public health professionals, architects,city and county planners, agricultural professionals, and transportation officials have come to realize that the way we design our communities can have serious implications for our health.

Richard J. Jackson is the chair of Environmental Health Sciences at the
UCLA School of Public Health. In addition to holding many appointments
within the state of California, he gained national prominence when he
worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and addressed
policy analyses of environmental impacts on health related to urban design,
architecture and mobility. In addition, he is developing policy analyses
in related areas, such as how farm, education, housing, and transportation
policies affect health. Dr. Jackson recently served on the Board of
Directors of the American Institute of Architects, and he has also chaired
the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Environmental Health. He
has a three part Public Broadcasting System special titled “Designing
Healthy Communities” which will be aired in the spring, along with a
companion book which will be released at the same time.

Dr. Jackson’s message is titled “Confronting the Crisis, Crash and
Collapse: Creating Co-Beneficial Solutions for Healthy Communities,
Economic Growth, and Sustainable Resources”. An opening welcome will be
made by the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Adam Hill. Following Dr.
Jackson’s presentation, a panel of local representatives will address ways
the SLO County region is addressing the ideas raised in the presentation.
The panel will include Dr. Ann McDermott, Cal Poly STRIDE Director, Dr.
Penny Borenstein, County Health Officer, Jim Patterson, County Board of
Supervisors, and Bill Spencer, Co-Owner of Windrose Farm. Richard Gearhart,
KSBY anchor, will moderate the panel.

Let’s Move SLO – Media Buzz

user — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 23:12:06 +0000

Check out the local media coverage we have received so far about the Let’s Move SLO campaign! Be sure to find HEAL-SLO’s facebook page to stay on top of the latest news.

CalCoastNews: YMCA health conference at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center

HEAL-SLO Facebook Page: Like us!…

Healthy Eating – Active Living – Happy Kids

Charmaine — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 23:14:23 +0000

Do your kids eat right and get enough exercise? Are you sending the right message when it comes to your lifestyle habits? Bring the whole family for a fun and interactive program filled with tips and ideas on how to eat healthy and play hard! Learn how to pack a healthy lunch, navigate the food system and fight childhood obesity in our community.

Decorate your own reusable lunch bag! Take home a healthy lunch!

When and Where:

April 12, 2011 (Tuesday)
5:00pm–6:30pm
Kennedy Club Fitness SLO MultiPlex Clubhouse
188 Tank Farm Road
San Luis Obispo

Space is limited, call for reservations.

(800) 483-6387

www.SierraVistaRegional.com

2010 HEAL-SLO Summit – Video and Presentations available

user — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:46:12 +0000

The HEAL-SLO Summit hosted over 240 people to discuss obesity prevention at the SLO Embassy Suites on Friday, October 22. The summit addressed the multifaceted obesity epidemic and provided different strategies for building a healthy community together. Here are some highlights from the summit:

Agenda:

Prevention of Childhood Obesity: National Strategies and the CATCH Program by Steven H Kelder, MPH, PhD – Professor, Division of Epidemiology, University of Texas School of Public Health, Austin

California Campaign of Healthy Beverages: An Effective Obesity Prevention Strategy by Stefan Harvey – Assistant Director, California Center for Public Health Advocacy

Santa Clara County – What We Accomplished (Toy Ordinance) by Lori Martin, M.S., R.D. – Nutrition & Wellness Manager, Santa Clara County Public Health Department

Overview – Where was San Luis Obispo in 2007 and where are we now? Childhood Obesity Prevention Task Force 2007 Report & Recommendations by Joel Diringer, JD, MPH – Diringer & Associates and Janice Fong Wolf – Director of Grants & Programs, San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation

Local SLO County Panel:

1. School Wellness Program at Lillian Larsen Elementary
Laverne Buckman – San Miguel Resource Connection

2. School Wellness Program at Oceano Elementary
Moyses Murguia – Oceano Boys and Girls Club

3. Be a Health Hero! Preschool and K–2 Countywide Poster Campaign
Christine Enyart-Elfers – San Luis Obispo County Office of Education

4. Jump roping, ReThink Your Drink, and more…
Jenifer Rhynes – YMCA

Implementation of the Affordable Care Act by Herb Schultz – Director of Region 9, US Department of Health & Human Services

Break Out Sessions:

1. Together We Can Build a Better Food System for San Luis Obispo County
Joseph McIntyre – President, Ag Innovations Network
Kim Pasciuto – Executive Director, Central Coast Agricultural Network

2. The Built Environment and its Role in Obesity Prevention
Jeffery Rosenhall, MA – California Active Communities
James Lopes, AICP – Department of Planning & Building, County of San Luis Obispo

3. Worksite Wellness: How to Make your Work Environment Healthier
Dayna Ravalin, RD, CDE – Public Health, County of San Luis Obispo
Nick Duggan – Business Development Manager, American Heart Association
Nickole Sutter – Wellness Coordinator, City of San Luis Obispo
Cecilia Fontes – Benefits Coordinator, County of San Luis Obispo

Jessica Borja – Health & Wellness Coordinator, Lucia Mar School District

4. Behavior Change: Research and Clinical Implications for Obesity Prevention
Suzanne Phelan, PhD – Associate Professor of Kinesiology, Cal Poly
Robert Wolff, MSW – Clinical Social Worker, Atascadero State Hospital

Cal Poly Graphic Design Student Work Featured on AIGA’s Living Principles

Charmaine — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:55:25 +0000

Graphic design students in Charmaine Martinez’s Typography III course designed posters that address the current state of our food system and its impact on the health of the individual. Each poster contains a visual depiction of one of Michael Pollen’s 7 Rules for Eating, the full text of farmer/activist Will Allen’s A Good Food Manifesto for America, and a personal message to First Additional images can be seen on AIGA’s Living Principles site: http://www.livingprinciples.org/design-advocacy-the-good-food-campaign/

Charmaine Martinez is an assistant professor in Cal Poly’s Department of Art and Design, partner in Juiciful Creative Consulting and HEAL-SLO’s chair of Community Outreach.

About Living Principles

Originally conceived by AIGA—the professional association for design—the Living Principles for Design celebrate the efforts of all partners, amplifying their voices and working collectively to move the sustainability conversation forward across disciplines and around the world.

The Living Principles for Design aim to guide purposeful action, celebrating and popularizing the efforts of those who use design thinking to create positive cultural change.

Drawing from decades of collective wisdom, theory and results, the Living Principles framework weaves environmental, social, economic, and cultural sustainability into an actionable, integrated approach that can be consistently communicated to designers, business leaders, educators and the public.

Be a Health Hero! in Schools Now

user — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:48:29 +0000

Healthy Messages for Local Kids

This September, the HEAL-SLO Coalition launched a poster campaign entitled Be a Health Hero, which delivers healthy messages to young children (pre-K through 2nd grade) throughout the county.

The Be a Health Hero campaign will run throughout the 2010-2011 school year and will be distributed to public schools in SLO county. Children will be exposed to messages related to the importance of physical activity, drinking milk, controlling portion size, and starting the day with a healthy breakfast. Be a Health Hero was created by HEAL-SLO coalition members: SLO County Department of Public Health, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, the Dairy Council of California, and the SLO County Office of Education. The resources/materials have been funded by the SLO County Community Foundation, as well as the previously mentioned partners.