Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity

April 2018 E-Newsletter: 
News, Resources, and Upcoming Events
 
Dear Friends,

We are now deep into the legislative session and we have two action opportunities for this week, as well as other updates on IAPO's 2018 legislative priorities, below.

Also, thank you to everyone who was able to participate on the IAPO coalition webinar this month. You can access the recording using the link provided below if you weren't able to join the live session. We will be in touch with engagement opportunities as strategic planning continues over the summer.

Finally, you will find information on new events, including a 2018 Healthy Food Access and Economic Development Summit the Illinois Public Health Institute is convening along with other partners on June 7th in Bloomington, as well as other new events and resources. 
 
In solidarity,

Elissa Bassler 
Executive Director, Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity 
CEO, Illinois Public Health Institute  
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IAPO Policy & Advocacy Updates

Updates on IAPO's 2018 legislative priorities and current organizational action opportunities are below.

1) Healthy Local Foods Incentive Fund bills (HB 4568/SB 2588) - would strike the end-date of the program (currently June, 2019) to allow for full implementation.

More on the Fund: Provides double-value coupon incentives to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - formerly known as food stamps) participants to access fresh fruits & vegetables at farmers markets and other direct-to-consumer venues. The Fund would not only create more affordable access to healthy food at farmers markets and other direct producer-to-consumer venues, but it would support local farmers and farmers markets across the state.

Legislative update: HB 4568 passed the House unanimously on April 20th. It now heads to the Senate. IAPO is also working closely with partners to pursue the $500,000 state investment in the Fund.

Action opportunities:
  • Contact your senator via this link and ask him/her to vote YES on HB 4568. Link here for model action alert language you can modify and use to activate your networks. The embedded links will allow your alert recipients to generate an automatic email to their senators asking them to vote yes.
  • Have your organization sign-on in support of the bill by adding your name to the Healthy Local Food Incentives Fund fact sheet! You can also ask your partner organizations to sign-on as well.
  • Email IAPO to join campaign planning calls.
2) Minutes-per-Week Physical Education (P.E.) bills (SB 2572/HB 4730) - would allow school boards to decide on the schedule and frequency of P.E. courses, as long as a minimum minutes-per-week standard is met.

More on the bills: Last year's school funding reform law reduced Illinois' P.E. requirement from five days per week to a minimum of three days per week. A minutes-per-week policy would provide flexibility to local districts to plan and schedule P.E. while ensuring students get the recommended amount of P.E. each week. P.E. is a key opportunity for physical activity as well as skill-building and fitness/health education that will benefit students throughout their lives

Legislative update: An amended version of SB 2572 passed out of the Senate Education Committee last week with the following changes:
  • The content limiting district P.E. waivers has been removed.
  • It now has an across-the-board 150 minutes-per-week P.E. requirement, instead of the CDC/Shape America recommendation of 150 minutes-per-week for elementary schools and 225 minutes-per-week for secondary schools.

The IAPO legislative priority is to bring Illinois into alignment with the CDC/SHAPE America recommendation to provide 150 minutes of P.E. per week to elementary school students and 225 minutes of P.E. per week for secondary schools. After close consultation with partners on the ground in Springfield, we believe there will be opportunities to further strengthen this policy in the future. 

 

Action Opportunity: If you feel your organization can support SB 2572 with these changes, we encourage you to contact your senator to vote YES for SB 2572 via this American Heart Association action alert.  

Listen to the Recording: IAPO Coalition Meeting Via Webinar - Looking Ahead: What's Next for Obesity Prevention?

On April 10, 2018, IAPO held our once-yearly all-coalition meeting via webinar.

Dr. Steven Gortmaker, Professor of the Practice of Health Sociology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, spoke about the future of obesity prevention.
 
We provided updates on IAPO's strategic planning process and solicited your input on revisions to the coalition's State Obesity Action Roadmap objectives.

Our next steps will be to take your feedback and all the input we've received over the course of the strategic planning process and convene coalition partners/experts in Illinois to finalize the revised Roadmap and update/develop strategies for our new agenda over the summer.

Listen to the webinar recording here (only the IAPO business sections were recorded).

View a PDF of the webinar slides here.

This meeting is supported in part by The Chicago Community Trust.
Events, News & Resources
Peer-Driven
 
Events: 
  • The Illinois Public Health Institute and other partners will convene a
    2018 Healthy Food Access and Economic Development Summit on Thursday, June 7, 2018 (9:30am-4:00pm) in Bloomington. This one-day, invitation-only event will bring together a broad array of health, food system and economic development stakeholders across Illinois to explore the link between healthy food access and economic development. Email Sarah.Chusid@iphionline.org if you are interested in attending or for more information.
  • Webinar: The Role of Physical Education in Enhancing Adolescent Mental Health, Thursday, May 3, 11:00am-12:00pm CST. Register here. In recognition of National Sports and Fitness Month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health's Region 5 Adolescent Health Network, in partnership with IAPO, will present a webinar on the impact of physical education (P.E.)/physical activity on adolescent mental health and well-being. Dr. John Ratey, Harvard Medical School, will present on his neuroscience research demonstrating a connection between physical activity and improved academic outcomes among students. The webinar will highlight P.E. policy in Region 5 states and also showcase Illinois' work to adopt enhanced P.E. policies. Paul Zientarski, retired P.E. Department Chairman, Naperville Central High School/Board member - DuPage FORWARD, and Dr. Jean H. Sophie, Superintendent of Schools, Lake Bluff Elementary School District 65, will share their experience implementing P.E. policy in schools. Intended audience: Individuals and organizations that work with young people, such as health and social service providers and educators, as well as others with an interest in learning about the impact of P.E. and physical activity on adolescent mental health. Download the webinar flyer here.
  • Save the Date: The Illinois Bike Summit, Monday, May 7, 2018, will be held at University of Illinois at Chicago. Learn more here
  • National Physical Education and Sports Week, May 1-7. Visit SHAPE America for ways to participate.
  • All Children Exercise Simultaneously (ACES), May 2. The world's largest exercise class! Learn more and sign up to participate here.
  • 2018 Food Summit, May 8. Register here. Hosted by the Illinois Commission to End Hunger, this event will provide opportunities to network among colleagues from every corner of the state, as well as learn about innovations and challenges regarding anti-hunger policies and programs at the federal, state, and local levels. The featured speaker is Dr. Craig Gundersen, Department of Agriculture Economics, University of Illinois. Dr. Gunderson informs policymakers and program administrators who are seeking paths to reduce food insecurity and its consequences. He also evaluates food assistance programs, with a particular emphasis on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps). Following the Hunger Summit, advocates will descend on the state Capitol to advocate for important legislation to protect access to nutritious food for people in need. You can choose to come to either or both events. The cost is free but space is limited.
  • May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. Learn more.
  • Project Power, July 16-20. The American Diabetes Association will host a FREE week-long day camp for children exhibiting one or more risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes. Learn more and register here.
News & Resources: 
  • The Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC) has updated its 5-4-3-2-1- GO! resources. In addition to adding brighter colors and updating the images on the flyers and posters, the message points were refined to reflect the latest, evidence-driven suggestions related to screen time and dairy consumption. Access those materials here.
  • IAPO/IPHI received a grant from Voices for Healthy Kids (a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the American Heart Association) that will enable us to help local groups enhance local school PE policy, and build PE advocacy capacity.
About IAPO

The Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity (IAPO) is a multi-sector coalition that works for equitable and just opportunities for Illinoisans to eat healthy and be physically active to optimize their health and well-being. Through partnerships and collaboration, public awareness building, technical assistance and advocacy, IAPO: 1) develops, changes, and implements policies and systems to support nutrition and physical activity and eliminate social and institutional barriers to maintaining a healthy weight; 2) fosters communities and institutions that integrate healthy foods and beverages and physical activity choices into everyday activities.
 
This initiative was launched and is coordinated by the Illinois Public Health Institute (IPHI). To learn more about IAPO, visit www.preventobesityil.org

Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity
Convened by the Illinois Public Health Institute
310 S. Peoria Street, 4th Floor
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 850-4744 voice
(312) 850-4040 fax
Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity | Illinois Public Health Institute | 312-850-4744
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