Issue 14- MAY 2016 | NCPPA.org
May 4, 2016

Welcome to Issue 14 of the Activity Advocate, NCPPA's comprehensive e-newsletter on physical activity. The Activity Advocate includes policy, news, conference and event, organization and research updates all focused on physical activity.

Become a Member!
NCPPA would like to welcome our newest members:

- American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
- Walden University

**In addition we'd like to welcome Dave Wright and MYZONE to our Board of Directors.

We invite you to join us as we advocate for policies that encourage Americans of all ages to make physical activity a regular part of their day.
Activity in the News
Can America's Doctors Lead Us to Better Health? (By NCPPA Board Member, Helen Durkin of IHRSA) Read

Getting People to Move More  Read 

Outmaneuvering Cancer (By NCPPA Board Member, Helen Durkin of IHRSA)  Read

Fighting a National Epidemic by Investing in Prevention Read

Children Have the Power to Change Parents' Habits Read

How to Get Older Adults More Physically Active? Eliminate Barriers Read

New Study Shows a City's Structure Affects Its Physical Activity
Read

Secrets of the Very Old and Healthy - Start When You're Young Read

Diet, Exercise Can Manage Type 2 Diabetes 
Read

Faith Groups Are Pitching in to Help Americans Get Fit Read 

Taking an Active Interest in the Shape of the Nation Report Read

Love of Physical Activity May Start in the Womb Read 

Focus on Physical Education Leads to a More Active School Day Read

Do Wellness Programs Work? As Companies Buy In, ROI Is Coming Under Scrutiny Read
Upcoming Events
Washington, DC
More Info



* Aspen Institute's Project Play Summit May 17
Washington, DC

* Building a Healthier Future Summit  The Partnership for A Healthier America   May 18-20
Washington, DC 

* ACSM's 63rd Annual Meeting, 7th World Congress on Exercise is Medicine  May 31- June 4
Boston, MA

National Youth Sports Week  July 10th - 16th, Washington, DC
Policy Update
National Physical Activity Plan Alliance Launches New National Physical Activity Plan  The new U.S. National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) was unveiled April 20 at the National Press Club, building upon the initial plan that the NPAP Alliance released in 2010 as a roadmap for actions supporting and encouraging physical activity among all Americans. Read
PHIT Act Update  The Personal Health Investment Today Act (PHIT Act) (H.R.1218 & S.2218) is legislation pending in Congress that would expand the IRS definition of a "medical expense" to include physical activity as a form of prevention.

Supporters of the PHIT Act, including several NCPPA members, have achieved an unprecedented level of bipartisan support, including 75 co-sponsors in the House and 12 in the Senate. #PassThePHITAct Learn More
Planning Is Underway for the Next Edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines  The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is leading the effortto update the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, originally released in 2008. Nominations to serve on the 2018 PAG Advisory Committee have been received. HHS is expected to name the members of the Advisory Committee in time to hold the first advisory board meeting in summer 2016.   Learn More
The CEO Pledge for Physical Activity
The executive director of the Tennis Industry Association, Jolyn de Boer, signed the CEO Pledge for Physical Activity during the launch of the National Physical Activity Plan, making the tennis industry the first sports industry to endorse the CEO Pledge for Physical Activity. Read

The CEO Pledge for Physical Activity is NCPPA's national campaign to encourage   every CEO In the United States and beyond to recognize physical activity as an important driver of employee health and business performance.   Learn More
Research, Reports, and Announcements
2016 Project Play Summit, May 17 
It's been a year since the release of the seminal Aspen Institute report, Sport for All, Play for Life: A Playbook to Get Every Kid in the Game, and many organizations have taken action consistent with its eight strategies for the eight sectors that touch the lives of children. At the Project Play Summit, meet leaders of these efforts and discover opportunities to build healthy communities through sport. More Info 
Diabetes Prevention Model Supported by the Affordable Care Act Saves Money and Improves Health
The Department of Health and Human Services announced a significant step forward in building a health care system that works better, spends dollars smarter, and keeps people healthy. Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced that the independent Office of the Actuary in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) certified that expansion of the Diabetes Prevention Program, a model funded by the Affordable Care Act, would reduce net Medicare spending. 

The expansion was also determined to improve the quality of patient care without limiting coverage or benefits. This is the first time that a preventive service model from the CMS Innovation Center has become eligible for expansion into the Medicare program. Read More
New Report Grades Each State's Support for Walking, Biking, and Active Communities  The Safe Routes to School National Partnership and the Y have released Making Strides: 2016 State Report Cards on Support for Walking, Bicycling, and Active Kids and Communities, to help state leaders and decision makers understand how states are investing transportation dollars, committing resources and establishing policies to support walkable communities.

How is your state doing? Find out here!
The 2016 Shape of the Nation™ Report  Released April 8, 2016 by SHAPE America - Society of Health and Physical Educators and Voices for Healthy Kids, an initiative of the American Heart Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the 2016 Shape of the Nation™ shows most states are dropping the ball on keeping kids active and fit and preparing them for a healthy future.  

The 2016 survey and state policy analysis finds areas of both improvement and decline since the 2012 Shape of the Nation. A majority of states have adopted legislation, requirements or guidance for physical education programs, but most do not require a specific amount of instructional time and more than half allow exemptions, waivers, or substitutions. Read
WHO ARE WE?
The National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity is a diverse blend of associations, health organizations, and private corporations advocating for policies that encourage Americans of all ages to be physically active.
NCPPA Policy Agenda

We want this newsletter to be as useful and informative as possible - so please send us your feedback and suggestions regarding current content and future topics we should address. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Ayanna McKnight
Fellow
NCPPA
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