Health Links

The Surgeon General of the United States
Since 1871, the Surgeon General of the United States has been the nation's leading spokesman on matters of public health. Seventeen men and women have served in this important position. Vice Admiral Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S., was sworn in as Surgeon General on August 5, 2002.
The Surgeon General is appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of The United States Senate for a 4-year term of office. In carrying out all responsibilities, the Surgeon General reports to the Assistant Secretary for Health, who is the principal advisor to the Secretary on public health and scientific issues.
The Surgeon General holds the rank of Vice Admiral (VADM) in the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps. The PHS Commissioned Corps is a uniformed service of the same nature as the Navy, Marines, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, and NOAA Corps. In 1999, then Surgeon General, VADM David Satcher established the Surgeon General's Honor Corps, an elite organization of officers who have demonstrated exceptional commitment and dedication to, and pride in, the Commissioned Corps.

The Surgeon General’s Call To Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity

www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity

A very good source of information about a variety of health related topics.

Centers For Disease Control and Prevention(CDC)

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/index.htm

An invaluable source of information about Health and Safety topics, studies, and important data.

AAHP-HIAA Solutions SmartBrief

http://www.smartbrief.com/aahp/

FREE news briefing delivered directly to you through e-mail. Delivered daily, AAHP-HIAA Solutions SmartBrief takes you straight to the news that health plan executives need to be more effective. This FREE service will help you break through the information overload.

The American Association for the Child’s Right to Play

http://www.ipausa.org/

"The child shall have full opportunity for play and recreation which should be directed to the same purposes as education; society and the public authorities shall endeavor to promote the enjoyment of this right;"

The purpose of IPA/USA is to protect, preserve, and promote play as a fundamental right for all humans.

Plays makes possible maximum development of self and society by facilitating creativity, individuality and, social, physical and intellectual growth.
Play encompasses experiences that provide enjoyment and emotional fulfillment that will ultimately lead to productive and contributing members of society.

The Arizona Governor's Council On Health, Physical Fitness and Sports

http://www.getactivestayactive.org/

Healthy People 2010

http://www.healthypeople.gov/Document/HTML/Volume2/22Physical.htm#_Toc490380793

Physical Activity and Fitness

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports

Very important policy statement on physical activity. A must read.

The National Governors Association and NGA Center for Best Practices On Line

An important paper providing recommendations for states, school districts, and schools to address childhood obesity through multi-pronged strategies that include:
• Developing school nutrition and physical activity policies
• Implementing classroom instruction in nutrition and physical education
• Fostering school and community partnerships that promote regular physical activity
• Engaging students, school faculty, families, and communities in promoting healthy eating and regular physical activity
• Creating public awareness and education campaign
• Creating a supportive school environment.

Connect for Kids

http://www.connectforkids.org/homepage1535/index.htm

Connect for Kids, an award-winning multimedia project, helps adults make their communities better places for families and children. The Web site offers a place on the Internet for adults—parents, grandparents, educators, policymakers and others—who want to become more active citizens, from volunteering to voting with kids in mind.

Saving Childhood Forum

http://www.savingchildhood.org 

This website is for anyone who believes children need and deserve time and space simply to be children, free from pressures and influences that await them in our success-driven, image-conscious, materialistic, technological age.

Forum topics include: Are kids being drugged into submission; Are adult expectations ruining childhood; Who needs recess; Have you smashed the TV yet?; Who wants good children.

Sugarplum Society by Robert Capriccioso

http://www.connectforkids.com/resources3139/resources_show.htm?doc_id=201815

AAHPERD American Alliance for Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance

http://www.aahperd.org

Promoting healthy lifestyles through high quality programs in health, physical education, recreation, dance, and sport.

Guidelines for Children’s Physical Activity in 2004

http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/template.cfm?template=pr_123103.html

Pediatrics

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org

PEDIATRICS is the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. PEDIATRICS publishes papers on original research or observations and special feature articles in the field of pediatrics as broadly defined. Papers on matters pertinent to pediatrics will also be included from related fields such as nutrition, surgery, dentistry, public health, child health services, human genetics, animal studies, psychology, psychiatry, education, sociology, and nursing.

Policy Statement: Soft drinks in schools

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/113/1/152.pdf

The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools

http://www.healthinschools.org/home.asp

The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools (CHHCS) is a nonpartisan policy and program resource center located at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.
CHHCS builds on a 20-year history of testing strategies to strengthen health care delivery systems for children and adolescents. For the past decade, with support from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Center staff and consultants have worked with institutional leaders, state officials and clinical providers to maximize outcomes for children through more effective health programming in schools.