According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 64 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese.

Furthermore, incidents of childhood obesity in America continue to rise. The number of diseases and ailments related to obesity is staggering. Yet, many of these diseases can be slowed or eliminated through exercise and proper diet.

President Bush has addressed this issue through the HealthierUS initiative, aimed at getting people up and active for better health. By supporting initiatives like HealthierUS and by working with other agencies, we can improve the quality of life for millions of Americans.

Beginning in 2004, local Scouting units are encouraged to participate in activities such as:

Embrace the HealthierUS initiative:

• Using the HealthierUS initiative by promoting its awards and activities to unit membership and the general public.
• The BSA Physical Fitness Award (developed in 2001) can be used as a springboard for youth to get involved and take a visible leadership role in this important area.
• Offering unit-level community and school-based sports and fitness clinics.

Take a hike day/weekend

• Establishing a spring or summer day or weekend to invite the community to get outdoors and take a hike with their families. It's good for healthy hearts and healthy relationships! This will provide an opportunity for families, fun, fitness, and the outdoors to be packaged in a single activity.

Fun run/walk/cycle event

• Conducting a fun run/walk/cycle event open to everyone in a local town or city. National Running and Fitness Week is in May and would be a good time to schedule these events.

Scout field games

• Organizing fitness contests in which youth members and others participate in physical activities. May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month and a good time for these events. The activities could include the seven major components of fitness that are the foundation for the BSA Physical Fitness Award and the fitness components of the HealthierUS initiative.

Good nutrition activities

• Conducting a health awareness fair in cooperation with hospitals and other health organizations. These are great unit activities. March is National Nutrition Month and a good time to schedule these events.

Blood drives

• Blood drives can be conducted in cooperation with local chapters of the American Red Cross.

Distributing healthy living and drug abuse awareness literature

• In cooperation with various health organizations, hospitals, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Centers for Disease Control, and other governmental health literature sources, secure and distribute good health and drug abuse awareness information through your unit.

Healthy Habits Observance (H2O) Week

• Designating a week in October as H2O week in conjunction with October being National Family Health Month.
• In cooperation with Department of Health and Human Services offices, conducting health screenings for the general public at your chartering organization's facility.
• Offering flu shots at your chartering organization's facility.
• Conducting fitness seminars for the general public.
• Distributing organ donor cards to the public.
• Conducting a child fingerprinting event.

Conducting service projects to build healthier environments.

• Tree planting and re-vegetation projects such as the council's Guy Miller Tree Plant program.
• Park or camp trail maintenance and repair
• Projects to enhance wildlife habitats
• Conservation and recycling projects
• Safety and emergency preparedness projects
• Beautification and litter cleanup projects

Look for this symbol in the list of organizations that have requested volunteer service in our council area.