North Carolina Health and Community Leaders Issue State Challenge to Lose 10 Million Pounds

April 15, 2013 - PRLog -- RALEIGH, N.C.—On Thursday, April 18, 2013 at 9:00 a.m., NC SPIN will host a press conference featuring state leaders from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, NC State Board of Education/Department of Public Instruction, NC Department of Commerce and the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. The press conference will announce the launch of a new, statewide public health education campaign and challenge called “A Healthier NC.”

The “A Healthier NC” campaign and challenge provides free health journaling tools and access to a clearinghouse of North Carolina health resources and educational materials at www.ahealthiernc.com. “A Healthier NC” has four key themes: “What does ‘healthy’ mean?; What is our responsibility for improved health?”; “What are smarter ways to access care?”; and a statewide challenge to engage 1 million North Carolinians in 15 million hours of activity to lose 10 million pounds.

According to Tom Campbell, who is the creator and producer of NC SPIN, the organization that initiated the “A Healthier NC” campaign, "A Healthier NC is about more than just weight loss—it’s about transforming lives. It's an appeal and call to action for all of us to be active participants in our own health. It's encouraging one another to make smarter choices about what we eat, how active we are, and how important it is to take care of ourselves and the ones we love. We are grateful to the sponsors that have stepped forward to make this statewide campaign a reality.”

The campaign is sponsored by leading North Carolina health and community organizations, including the NC Academy of Family Physicians, NC Medical Society, NC Office of Rural Health and Community Care, the AARP Decide.Create.Share campaign, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC.

WHO:       NC SPIN, NC DHHS, NC DPI, NC Department of Commerce, NC Conference of the United Methodist Church

WHAT:     Press Conference to Announce Kick-off of “A Healthier NC Campaign and Challenge”

WHEN:     Thursday, April 18, 2013 at 9:00 AM

WHERE:   NC Department of Health and Human Services, Adams Building, 101 Blair Drive, Raleigh, NC

Featured Speakers:

Tom Campbell, Creator and Producer of NC SPIN

Robin Cummings, MD, Director of NC DHHS Office of Rural Health and Community Care

June Atkinson, Secretary of the State Board of Education and State Superintendent of NC DPI

Sharon Decker, Secretary of NC Department of Commerce

Hope Morgan Ward, Bishop of the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church

“A Healthier NC” Sponsors:

NC SPIN http://www.ncspin.com/

North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians http://www.ncafp.com/academy

North Carolina Medical Society http://www.ncmedsoc.org/

North Carolina DHHS Office of Rural Health and Community Care http://www.ncdhhs.gov/orhcc/ (http://www.ncmedsoc.org/)

Decide.Create.Share. AARP http://www.aarp.org/decide/

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina http://www.bcbsnc.com/