December 10, 2019
CLOCC, Chicago Park District Seek Applicants for 2020 Chicago-ANEHW Initiative

Do you or your organization work for - or with - a Chicago Park? 

CLOCC and the Chicago Park District Wellness Department are seeking applications from Chicago parks that will have summer camp programming in the summer of 2020, to be a part of Chicago-Activating Neighborhood Environments for Health and Wellness (ANEHW) , funded by the Kohl's Cares® Foundation. 

This project is managed by CLOCC in partnership with the Chicago Park District Wellness Department. The project goal is to improve healthy and active living through educational and environmental interventions in three Chicago neighborhoods.

One of the project strategies of Chicago-ANEHW is a collaboration between the Chicago Park District (CPD) and CLOCC to integrate CLOCC's 5-4-3-2-1 Go!® message into CPD summer day camp activities through a program called CampWell, a health and wellness curriculum developed by the CPD wellness team and CLOCC. CampWell gives summer campers additional opportunities for nutrition education, hands on cooking demonstrations, STEM activities, meditation, and physical activity. In 2020, the Chicago Park District CampWell facilitator will support the integration of CampWell at three local parks across the city.

Additional consideration will be given to parks that apply in partnership with a local community based non-profit organization (CBO) that will assist in the implementation of the Chicago ANEHW strategies. 

To learn more about the RFA or to apply please visit the RFA Page at CLOCC.net. 

JOB POSTINGS 
5-4-3-2-1 Go! Resources
fiveSMART Resources
OBESITY PREVENTION UPDATES
CDC Study Finds 1 in 5 Teens are Living With Prediabetes

CDC News Release, December 2, 2019

Nearly 1 in 5 adolescents aged 12-18 years, and 1 in 4 young adults aged 19-34 years, are living with prediabetes, according to a new  CDC study published in  JAMA Pediatrics. 

Prediabetes is a health condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. The condition also increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, heart disease, and stroke.

Monitoring the percentage of adolescents and young adults with prediabetes can help determine the future risk of type 2 diabetes. To do this, CDC researchers used data from the  National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey covering the years 2005-2016.

"The prevalence of prediabetes in adolescents and young adults reinforces the critical need for effective public health strategies that promote healthy eating habits, physical activity, and stress management," said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D.  "These lifestyle behaviors can begin early in a child's life and should continue through adolescence and adulthood to reduce onset of type 2 diabetes."

Key study findings:
  • Nearly 1 in 5 (18%) adolescents (those aged 12-18) and 1 in 4 (24%) young adults (aged 19-34 years) were living with prediabetes.
  • The percentage of adolescents and young adults living with prediabetes was higher in males and participants with obesity.
  • Hispanic young adults had higher rates of prediabetes compared to white young adults.
  • Adolescents and young adults with prediabetes had significantly higher cholesterol levels, systolic blood pressure, abdominal fat and lower insulin sensitivity than those with normal glucose tolerance, which increased their risk of type 2 diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases.

Additional Information:

Prediabetes in the News
USDA Moves Forward With New Work Requirements for SNAP Recipients

The latest reform to hunger security by the Trump administration saw the announcement on December 4th of a federal rule tightening the work requirements which determine eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Slated to begin April 1, the rule is expected to force nearly 700,000 Americans classified as "able-bodied adults without dependents" (ABAWDs) to lose access to their nutrition benefits.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the rule despite months of opposition from health advocates, economists, political leaders and others. 

SNAP is the nutrition safety net for 42 million Americans, which includes 13 million children living in food insecure households. The program ensures children have access to basic nutrition in the form of fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy. 

Experts worry that moving recipients away from SNAP will now place additional strain on the nation's emergency food systems.  " This action flies in the face of congressional intent, coming almost a year after  Congress passed the Farm Bill  that left the current area waiver provisions in place," said James D. Weill, president, Food Research & Action Center. 

The USDA has proposed additional SNAP reforms, including a change to "categorical eligibility," a state's freedom to designate families as SNAP eligible based on receipt of another government benefit, as well as changing how utility costs are factored into benefit calculations. The action on categorical eligibility would strip away benefits from 9 percent of SNAP households, which in turn would also cause 982,000 students to lose automatic eligibility for free meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). The comment periods on these two proposed rules recently ended, and the USDA has made no recent announcement regarding their status.


SNAP in the News
FOCUS UPSTREAM
Updates on social, structural and other root causes of obesity
CLOCC continues to expand our focus "upstream" to identify the fundamental root causes of obesity, and to broaden the scope of our obesity prevention strategies. This work coincides with heightened local and national attention to health equity and social influencers of health, such as immigration, education, poverty and racism, all of which have an impact on people's ability to eat healthy and be active where they live, work, learn, and play. If you have comments or questions about this focus, we invite you to reach out to info@clocc.net. 
Equity Toolkit Helps Communities Take On Social Determinants of Health

The Campaign for Action has developed a Health Equity Toolkit which provides resources that nurses, Action Coalitions, and their partners, need to help their communities by tacking the social determinants of health. The toolkit is based off of the ADPIE (Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation) nursing process. 
Gun Violence, Bullying and Poverty Again Named as Top Three Social Concerns for Youth by Chicago Parents

Consistent with last year, Chicago parents again selected gun violence, bullying/cyberbullying and poverty as the top three social problems for children and adolescents in the city, according to the latest survey results released by Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and the  Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH). Hunger was new to this year's top 10 list of social issues facing youth, with 62 percent of parents across all community areas in Chicago considering it a big problem.

"We are getting a loud and clear message from parents that gun violence, bullying and poverty remain the biggest social challenges for youth in Chicago," says  Matthew M. Davis, MD, MAPP, Interim Chair of Pediatrics and Chief of Community Health Transformation at Lurie Children's, and Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine, Medical Social Sciences, and Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "We must redouble our efforts in collaboration with community organizations to create workable solutions to these complex problems, as well as the other issues on the top 10 list."
CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN THE NEWS
FUNDING & RECOGNITION OPPORTUNITIES 
  • Each year, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) supports communities across our state through its grants and sponsorships. Community Investments at BCBSIL are divided into two areas: grants and sponsorship. In Illinois, grants are awarded to direct service health and human service organizations with 501(c)(3) status. Funding is distributed through two separate funding streams: Healthy Kids, Healthy Families Grants and Community Partners Grants. Grants are for 1 year only. Organizations may apply through either funding stream (but not both). Funding is competitive, so organizations should assess alignment with each streams' funding priorities. The LOI window will open on January 21. 
     
  • The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health (OMH) and the Office on Women's Health (OWH) jointly announce the YES Initiative in collaboration with the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) and in consultation with the Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) and the Office of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition (PCSFN). The YES Initiative seeks to identify characteristics of effective collaborations that improve physical activity and nutrition via increased sports participation. YES Initiative applicants should propose to address unhealthy physical activity and nutrition behaviors among racial/ethnic minority and socio-economically disadvantaged youth (including, specifically girls), and provide opportunities to learn skills and gain experiences that contribute to more positive lifestyles and enhance their capacity to make healthier life choices.  Applicants should have capacity to develop and implement sports fitness programs based on successful evidenced-based strategies for youth engagement.  The application due date is May 31, 2019.
T he Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC) is a nationally recognized leader for community-based obesity prevention. We support, coordinate, and unite partners to promote healthy and active lifestyles for children and families. Our multi-sector approach emerged in Chicago and can be adapted for use anywhere.