Oklahoma lands at the bottom of the list of healthiest U.S. cities.

The annual American Fitness Index, from the American College of Sports Medicine, was released this week and puts Oklahoma at the bottom of the list of healthiest U.S.cities. Reasons for our poor showing include obesity rates, the percentage of people who exercise and availability of parks and walking trails. The American Heart Association is currently working with lawmakers to pass a law that would limit liability for schools that choose to open their recreational facilities to the communities. This will hopefully encourage communities to take advantage of those facilities as a cheap and easy way to get exercise.

"Right now in so many places, there are many barriers to being physically active. We need to make changes across the country that will make physical activity the easy choice, the convenient choice."


You can view an Oklahoma specific report here: http://americanfitnessindex.org/docs/reports/oklahomacity.pdf

For more information, visit americanfitnessindex.org.

Oklahoma's Female Senators Go Red For Women

Recently on Go Red For Women Day at the Capitol Oklahoma's four female Senators wore red in support of the cause. Below is some of the news coverage on their efforts.

http://www.newson6.com/story/14582763/women-senators-go-red-in-support-of-heart-health-in-state

Push for Healthier School Meals

U.S. News and World Report recently published an article about the fight to improve nutrition standards in our schools. It gave some great insight into the fight going on at both the national and state levels to fix the problem of childhood obesity. The American Heart Association is also working to address nutrition standards in our schools.

You can read the full article below:

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/managing-your-healthcare/policy/articles/2011/05/13/us-pushes-school-cafeterias-toward-healthier-offerings?PageNr=1

It's EMS Appreciation Week!

The American Heart Association values the Emergency Medical Services community as inseparable partners in emergency cardiovascular care management. We are proud to recognize the efforts of all EMS providers and agencies during Emergency Medical Services Week. Our entire organization is grateful for your commitment to patients and saving lives.


The Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee and AHA staff acknowledges and shares in the EMS community’s goal of improving patient outcomes through the development and delivery of the highest quality prehospital care available. We appreciate your collaboration, input, and interaction with the American Heart Association.

The American Heart Association remains committed to a renewed, strengthened partnership with the EMS community that achieves the mission of saving lives. Further, we are confident that together we can globally improve our relationships and create an even more collaborative environment that fosters synergy and enables a convergence of our common goals.

THANK YOU!

Advocates and Lawmakers Go Red For Women at the State Capitol

On Thursday, May 5th participants came from all around the state to the AHA’s annual Go Red for Women event at the State Capitol to visit with lawmakers and raise awareness of the effects of Heart Disease and Stroke on women, especially in the state.

Oklahoma Lt. Governor, Todd Lamb, stopped by the visit with the women and show his support for the cause. We were also honored to have General Rita Aragon, the first female Oklahoma Secretary of Veterans Affairs in attendance to advocate for our cause.
In 2007, Oklahoma had the 4th highest death rate from cardiovascular disease in the country. With a family history of heart disease, Sen. Eason McIntyre encouraged Oklahomans, especially those in the black community, to take control of their health. Sen. Johnson, was the 2008 national Ambassador for the Power to End Stroke Awareness Campaign.

The AHA kicks off its nationwide campaign with Wear Red Day each year on the first Friday in February. Being that the state Legislature is not in session then Oklahoma affiliates hold their Capitol event during Mother’s Day week.

 

American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown Hails Progress in Smoke-Free Policies (Reposted from National You're the Cure blog)

Over the last decade, we have made steady progress in protecting Americans from the deadly consequences of tobacco use with passage of comprehensive smoke-free policies. But it’s too soon to rest on our laurels. Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia have enacted smoke-free laws for workplaces, bars and restaurants since 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and if current trends continue, the nation could be 100 percent smoke-free by 2020. However, nearly half of the country still lacks comprehensive smoke-free laws, hampering efforts to reduce tobacco use and smoking-related illnesses in the southern region of the country where heart disease and stroke death rates remain high. Tobacco use is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the nation’s No. 1 killer. We must zero in on those areas that continue to lag despite studies that show smoke-free policies benefit public health and the local economy with lower health care costs.


The CDC report, State Smoke-free Laws for Worksites, Restaurants, and Bars - United States, 2000-2010, indicates approximately 88 million Americans are still exposed to secondhand smoke and several states have exemptions that put too many nonsmokers at risk. This remains a hurdle that must be addressed with passage of strong legislation to close loopholes. Elected officials, particularly those in the south, must do more to enact comprehensive smoke-free laws and give citizens a greater opportunity to breathe clean air.

For more information, visit the CDC website.

Advocate Tip! Take 2 to Save 2

May is American Stroke Month and you can help raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of stroke- and ways to prevent this devastating disease. The Power to End Stroke campaign encourages you to Take 2 to Save 2. Whether you send an email, make a phone call, tweet, or post to Facebook, you can help deliver an important message to your loved ones this month, that just might save a life. Visit powertoendstroke.org/take2 to send your messages today!

AHA Joins with Nintendo join up to discuss the Power of Play

In January 2011, the American Heart Association and Nintendo convened “The Power of Play: Innovations in Getting Active” summit, which brought together thought leaders from the worlds of fitness, health care, technology, education and video games to discuss the synergies and potential benefits of active-play video games and physically active lifestyles.

On April 25, 2011, American Heart Association’s journal of Circulation published the proceedings from this summit through its online portal, documenting key dialogue and research considerations. View the Conference Proceedings.

We asked the Institute for the Future, a non-profit research center specialized in long-term forecasting and quantitative futures research methods, to attend the summit and develop a white paper to help broaden the consideration of summit topics and discussions. Download the White Paper.