The Toronto Charter for Physical Activity

A Global Call for Action was launched on Saturday 8 May 2010 at the 3rd International Congress for Physical Activity and Health in Toronto Canada during the closing plenary session. The final English version is now available on the GAPA website at www.globalpa.org.uk. The French and Spanish versions will follow shortly.

The Toronto Charter is a call to all countries to help make physical activity a priority for all. The Charter provides a framework for action and partnerships across multiple sectors and with communities to build healthier, active, environmentally sustainable communities. It is a result of two years of international drafting and large scale global consultation. The global consultation received responses from over 400 individuals and organizations from 55 countries and provided over 1700 comments and suggestions.

The Toronto Charter was ratified by delegates at the 3rd International Congress for Physical Activity and Health with overwhelming support for its call to all countries to seek greater political commitment, resources and community action to support health enhancing physical activity for all. The Charter itself is an advocacy tool, designed for use with decisions makers and to build partnership towards achieving political commitment and resources towards increasing participation in health-enhancing physical activity throughout the world.

Please show your support for the adoption and implementation of the Toronto Charter for Physical Activity: A Global Call for Action by visiting the website www.globalpa.org.uk.

The League of American Bicyclists Gives Sumter, SC Honorable Mention in Fall 2009 Bicycle Friendly Community Review Cycle

The League of American Bicyclists has announced that Sumter County, South Carolina has received an honorable mention for the Fall 2009 Bicycle Friendly Community review. “While Sumter County has not yet received the League’s Bicycle Friendly Community designation, this honorable mention recognizes its work to promote bicycling in their community,” said League President Andy Clarke.”

Sumter County is an Honorable Mention community for their initiative and progress to become more bicycle-friendly.  Some of these initiatives are: twenty-eight Share the Road signs installed along the county’s roadways; a free bicycle taillight distribution program available for needy bicyclists; celebration of National Bicycle Month/ Bike to Work Day with activities that have included a bicycle ride with the Sumter mayor; and completion of a master bicycle plan.  Recently, several organizations worked together to produce a Share the Road video promoting bicyclist and motorist safety that was aired on a local cable television network.

NOTE: The USC PRC's participatory, community-based core research project is titled "Policy and environmental change to promote PA: A participatory, university-community partnership." The core research project is directly related to the PRC research agenda and mission of conducting research that benefits the public's health, promotes physical activity, and translates this research into practice. This project is conducted in Sumter County, SC, through the Sumter County Active Lifestyles (SCAL) coalition.  SCAL’s work was critical in helping Sumter receive honorable mention.

To learn more about the League’s Bicycle Friendly Community program, visit http://www.bicyclefriendlyamerica.org. For media inquiries, contact Meghan Cahill at 202.822.1333 or at meghan@bikeleague.org.

THE STARS PROJECT

Dr. Patricia Sharpe, Research Professor in the Department of Exercise Science and Prevention Research Center received an R01 research grant from the National Institutes of Health, which will take a comprehensive approach to behavior change among overweight and obese women in economically disadvantaged communities.   The project gives attention to individual attitudes and skills, socio-cultural factors, and environmental barriers and supports to behavior change, including economic barriers for women ages 25 to 50. The intervention will promote behavioral skills and social support for success in the context of challenges to healthy eating, physical activity, and weight loss.  To learn more about the project, go to http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/Projects/stars.htm

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