A Message from
Governor Donald L. Carcieri

Thank you to all of the organizations and citizens who participated in one of the many activities organized for the Healthy Weight in 2008 campaign.

I sincerely hope that the activities, information, and messages offered have helped more Rhode Islanders to learn about nutrition and physical activity choices that can lead to a healthier lifestyle.

While we encourage these activities because we know they can add years to your life, we are also interested in seeing more citizens develop lifestyles that will add life to your years.

The list of activities could not have been possible without the participation of the staff of many Healthy Weight in 2008 partners, including:

The Governor's Office
Rhode Island Department of Health
UnitedHealthcare
Blue Cross &Blue Shield's Health &Wellness Institute
Neighborhood Health Plan of RI
Shape Up RI
The Rhode Island Medical Society
Rhode Island Kids First
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
YMCA of Greater Providence and Statewide Alliance of YMCAs
RI affiliate of the American Heart Association
RI affiliate of the American Diabetes Foundation
AARP
RI Dieticians Association
The Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association
Johnson &Wales University
University of Rhode Island

Key events and activities from the year-long campaign have included the following:

• Press Conference Announcing Initiative
  Held by Governor Carcieri and other state leaders on January 30, 2008 to launch initiative at the Thundermist Health Center in Woonsocket, RI.
• Healthy Weight in 2008 website (www.healthyweightin2008.ri.gov)
  Includes information and tools targeting adults, families, workplaces, the disabled, seniors, and Spanish-speaking residents; links to partner websites; recreational resource listings; and calendar of events. The Health Department’s Initiative for a Healthy Weight will take over the website and adapt for 2009.
• Rhode Island Great Outdoors Pursuit
  Organized the Rhode Island Great Outdoors Pursuit with the RI DEM, and with the support of numerous Healthy Weight in 2008 partners. The program was inspired by No Child Left Inside to reconnect families with the outdoors and encourage more physical activity. The 10-week game provided incentives for families to experience different parks and participate in a wide variety of activities tied to recreational offerings. Over 1,000 people registered for the pursuit, with organized activities held at Lincoln Woods, Fort Adams State Park, Colt State Park, Pulaski Recreation Area, and the Blackstone Valley Bike Path.
• Radio campaign
  During the month of September, Clear Channel Communications ran public services announcements with messages about physical activity, healthy eating, and tips for achieving/maintaining a healthy weight.
• Restaurant/Healthy Menu Initiative
  Working through the Dept. of Health, outreach has been made to the RI Hospitality and Tourism Association and Johnson & Wales University to develop a collaborative, supportive approach to encourage restaurants to offer more healthy menu options. Nutrition criteria has been developed to guide the effort. Legislation has been introduced to require chain restaurants to publish nutrition data.
• President’s Challenge (physical activity)
  With the assistance of Shape Up RI and a radio promotional effort, we were able to significantly increase the number of Rhode Islanders participating in the President’s physical activity challenge. Mid-way through the challenge, Rhode Island was ranked #48 in the country; Rhode Island finished at #12 – the highest of any of the New England states.
• Governor’s Challenge for A Healthier Generation – Healthy Schools
  A partnership has been developed with Kids First RI and the RI Dept. of Education to enroll local schools in the Challenge for a Healthier Generation, a challenge supported by the national Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Care has been taken to ensure that recruitment does not confuse the message and purposeful agenda of the RI Healthy Schools Coalition.
• Millions of Minutes physical activity challenge
  Launched on May 9, the Millions of Minutes physical activity challenge encouraged Rhode Islanders of all ages to track the number of minutes they spent engaged in physical activity each day while educating them about the recommendation of 30 minutes of activity a day for adults, 60 minutes a day for children.
• Fresh to You
  This worksite wellness and community health program was established through a state/private partnership and is presently being run out of Brown University. Individuals are given opportunities to purchase the highest quality fresh fruits and vegetables at significant discount for their families, and have them delivered directly to work/community centers each week. Addresses convenience and cost barriers to increasing fruit and vegetable consumption; program is expected to be offered to schools and child care centers in the future.
• Focus Group to Begin Dialogue with Medical Community about Obesity and Overweight Prevention and Treatment
  This was the last formal activity of the Healthy Weight in 2008 initiative for the year. Health care providers were invited to attend a December 18 focus group to sharing their expertise and experiences at a forum to examine the barriers providers face in addressing obesity issues in their practices, and to consider the supports that will help facilitate better prevention and treatment of overweight, obesity, and related chronic diseases. The Department of Health will use this information in the development of “toolkits” with resources for health care providers.