Monday, January 30, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Transportation and Health By the Numbers | Public Health
Transportation and Health By the Numbers Public Health
A recent workshop presents some interesting details about the connection of Transportation and our Health:
- Three trillion vehicle miles are traveled in the U.S. each year, according to the Federal Highway Research Administration.
- Between 1990 and 2009 the vehicle miles traveled for passenger cars and trucks has increased by 39 percent, said David Ragland, PhD, MPH, Director of the Safe Transportation Research and Education Center at the University of California at Berkeley.
- Every additional hour spent in a car is associated with a 6% increase in the risk of obesity, and every kilometer walked is associated with a 5% decrease in obesity risk, said Raymond.
- Thirty-six percent of adults don’t report any leisure time physical activity; 88% don’t meet federal guidelines for the recommended amount of activity.
- The estimated medical costs of inactivity top $75 billion per year.
- Walking and biking are the top leisure physical activities of choice in the U.S., and are also the top utilitarian physical activities.
- Public transit users walk a median of 19 minutes daily getting to and from transit stops. Nearly 30 percent of transit users exceed the 30 minutes of recommended physical activity per day.
A recent workshop presents some interesting details about the connection of Transportation and our Health:
- Three trillion vehicle miles are traveled in the U.S. each year, according to the Federal Highway Research Administration.
- Between 1990 and 2009 the vehicle miles traveled for passenger cars and trucks has increased by 39 percent, said David Ragland, PhD, MPH, Director of the Safe Transportation Research and Education Center at the University of California at Berkeley.
- Every additional hour spent in a car is associated with a 6% increase in the risk of obesity, and every kilometer walked is associated with a 5% decrease in obesity risk, said Raymond.
- Thirty-six percent of adults don’t report any leisure time physical activity; 88% don’t meet federal guidelines for the recommended amount of activity.
- The estimated medical costs of inactivity top $75 billion per year.
- Walking and biking are the top leisure physical activities of choice in the U.S., and are also the top utilitarian physical activities.
- Public transit users walk a median of 19 minutes daily getting to and from transit stops. Nearly 30 percent of transit users exceed the 30 minutes of recommended physical activity per day.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Tobacco Control in Minnesota; The Grades Are In
The American Lung Association just released it's tenth annual State of Tobacco Control. Here is how Minnesota faired:
- Tobacco Prevention and Control Spending: F
- Smokefree Air: A
- Cigarette Tax: C
- Cessation: D
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Live Wright Team Members Needed for the 2012 BizicallyFIT Health Challenge
Registration officially begins on January 23rd and the challenge will begin on February 13th! Live Wright has created a team on the 2012 BizicallyFIT Health Challenge. Space on the team is limited to 12 members, so don't miss your chance to be part of a fun, healthy start to 2012!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Live Wright's Top Ten of 2011
1. March was proclaimed "National Nutrition Month" in Wright County by our Human Services Board
2. The Live Wright Team participated in an online Biggest Loser competition; our team lost 93 pounds!
3. Safe Routes to School survey of Monticello School District parents had a 40% response rate, showing that parents are very much interested in the topic of student transportation
4. The Farm to School and Pinewood Learning Garden grant projects reached an estimated 1370 students, 145 staff and 20 community members
5. 6 local cities and Wright County all updated planning documents to include standards and support for active living.
6. 2 cities created trail maps and kiosks to highlight walking and biking trails (Delano and Buffalo). One city installed trail markers to make it easy to gauge the distance one travels while walking, running or biking (Buffalo). Also helped support the development of 2 interactive maps of parks and trails (Monticello, Wright County).
7. Live Wright Grants supported the creation of 1 acre of land for community gardens in the cities of Buffalo and Monticello. This includes 132 plots/beds for community gardeners.
8. Wright County Public Health staff create a slideshow/video: "Living Wright: A New Standard for Wright County" that highlights the work of our lcoal grantees.
9. Otsego Elementary partnered with Live Wright to host a Walk to School Day. School staff promoted the event with their version of the "Ped Safety Dance".Over 250 students chose to "Hike it, Bike it, Like it" on October 5, 2011.
10. Mark Preissing's Opening Doors Garden Club serves up to 700 adults with disabilities locally. The project received the 2011 Outstanding Project Award from the Minnesota Community Education Association.
Thank you to all our partners and supporters for all you help in working to create a healthier Wright County. We know that this list may have missed some of our accomplishments, so feel free to add to our accomplishments of 2011!
2. The Live Wright Team participated in an online Biggest Loser competition; our team lost 93 pounds!
3. Safe Routes to School survey of Monticello School District parents had a 40% response rate, showing that parents are very much interested in the topic of student transportation
4. The Farm to School and Pinewood Learning Garden grant projects reached an estimated 1370 students, 145 staff and 20 community members
5. 6 local cities and Wright County all updated planning documents to include standards and support for active living.
6. 2 cities created trail maps and kiosks to highlight walking and biking trails (Delano and Buffalo). One city installed trail markers to make it easy to gauge the distance one travels while walking, running or biking (Buffalo). Also helped support the development of 2 interactive maps of parks and trails (Monticello, Wright County).
7. Live Wright Grants supported the creation of 1 acre of land for community gardens in the cities of Buffalo and Monticello. This includes 132 plots/beds for community gardeners.
8. Wright County Public Health staff create a slideshow/video: "Living Wright: A New Standard for Wright County" that highlights the work of our lcoal grantees.
9. Otsego Elementary partnered with Live Wright to host a Walk to School Day. School staff promoted the event with their version of the "Ped Safety Dance".Over 250 students chose to "Hike it, Bike it, Like it" on October 5, 2011.
10. Mark Preissing's Opening Doors Garden Club serves up to 700 adults with disabilities locally. The project received the 2011 Outstanding Project Award from the Minnesota Community Education Association.
Thank you to all our partners and supporters for all you help in working to create a healthier Wright County. We know that this list may have missed some of our accomplishments, so feel free to add to our accomplishments of 2011!
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