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Health & Wellness Coalition of Wichita Newsletter
Mid-September 2007

Mission: We will promote physical activity and good nutrition for every generation living in the greater Wichita area through programs, policies, and people.

Our goal for this newsletter is to share physical activity and nutrition information about local programs, policies, and people.

America On The Move
Walk to Lunch

America On the Move week with the YMCA is a national effort to promote active living and healthy eating from September 22-29th. YMCAs are tracking the number of participants and steps taken with a goal of reaching 10 billion steps nationally. You can be a part of this effort that is inspiring thousands of Americans to take small steps that add up to a big reward-better health.

To register for this event please click here and then click on the America On the Move link. Follow the directions to register and remember to download a step-tracking sheet.

YMCA will also be hosting the 2nd Annual Walk to Lunch Event at the Central YMCA on September 28th. You can also register for that event at the Wichita YMCA website. If you would like to register as a group, please contact Jessica Tarbell at 219-9622. The cost is $10 and includes lunch (sandwich and salad), pedometer, water bottle, and t-shirt. Register the distance you walked and enter your name in a drawing for cool prizes like America On the Move t-shirts and iPods!
Healthier Kids Meals, Restrictions on Advertising to Young Kids

Beginning this week, Burger King will offer healthier fast-food items in children's meals and limit its advertising targeting children younger than 12 to only its healthiest menu items, the Associated Press reports. Burger King developed the new plan in partnership with the Council for Better Business Bureaus' children's food and beverage advertising initiative, which also includes companies such as PepsiCo, Kellogg Co. and General Mills. Under the new proposal, Burger King will advertise to young children only those Kids Meals that contain no more than 560 calories, have less than 30 percent of calories from fat and have no more than 10 percent of calories from added sugar.

Also included in the plan are several new menu items, which are expected to debut in 2008, and will include organic, unsweetened apple sauce, low-fat milk and flame-broiled chicken tenders. In addition, the chain is developing a product called BK Fresh Apple Fries, which will consist of chilled red apples cut and packaged to resemble French fries. Although the new advertising policy will not take effect until December 2008, the fast-food chain has agreed to limit advertising to kids younger than 12 to its healthiest menu items in the interim. To read this article from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation click here.
Clean Air Wichita Campaign
Clean Air Wichita

The Tobacco Free Wichita Coalition has recently introduced the Clean Air Wichita Campaign, an initiative to raise support for a comprehensive clean indoor air ordinance in Wichita. Similar ordinances have been passed in hundreds of U.S. cities (including some in Kansas), resulting in lower smoking rates. Numerous case studies have shown a reduction in heart attack, coronary artery disease and other tobacco-related diseases following the implementation of an ordinance. To protect the health of ALL employees and patrons, the proposed ordinance would restrict smoking in all workplaces, including restaurants, bars and indoor recreation areas (such as bowling alleys and bingo parlors).

Show your support for clean indoor air by signing our Online Statement of Support.
Farha Sport Center

Greater Wichita YMCA's new indoor sport center will be named the Farha Sport Center in honor of donors Dr. S. Jim Farha and Todd S. Farha. The Farha Sport Center will open in September and is located on the grounds of the Richard A. DeVore South Branch YMCA at 3405 S. Meridian.

Dr. S. Jim Farha is a retired thoracic/cardiovascular surgeon and philanthropist residing in Wichita, KS. Todd S. Farha is the Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer for WellCare Health Plans, Inc. in Tampa, FL. The $5.5 million sport center will feature eight hardwood courts for basketball, volleyball and futsal (indoor 5v5 soccer), spectator seating, a sport performance training center, community/staff training center and concession area with seating. Advanced basketball leagues for 2nd grade through high school will begin in September with volleyball and futsal tournaments scheduled for later in the fall season.

The Farha Sport Center is a safe, positive place where 11,000 youth can live healthy and build character through sport programs. The Farha Sport Center features progressive skill and competitive leagues, tournament and clinics for a variety of sports, including basketball, volleyball and indoor 5v5 soccer. The Farha Sport Center has quality sport programs for all ages emphasizing skill development and YMCA's core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.
REC-FINDER
A Searchable Database for Outdoor Recreation in Kansas

REC-FINDER allows users to search a database of over 450 trails, 3,500 parks and 12,500 recreation amenities across the state for places to participate in their favorite outdoor recreation activities. Users can search for parks and facilities by name, location, park type or facilities found there. A brief summary of trail features is provided including length, surface and allowable uses. Click here to access the REC-FINDER website.

REC-FINDER is a collaborative effort of the Kansas Recreation and Park Association, the Sunflower Foundation, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, the Data Access Support Center - KS Geological Survey- University of Kansas, Kansas State University's Department of Horticulture Forestry and Recreation Resources, and hundreds of park and recreation professionals and other city and school district staff members statewide.

The database was originally designed as a planning tool, but has proven to be very informative for general public use and has been modified for that audience. State agencies, visitor's bureaus, cities, schools, park and recreation agencies and lodging establishments are all being encouraged to add the link and banner to their websites.

September is Whole Grain Month:
Are you eating enough whole grains? The amount of grains you need to eat depend on your age, sex and level of physical activity. At least half of the grains you eat should be whole grains. If you aren't consuming recommended amounts of whole grains, you are missing valuable fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Here are some tasty whole-grain ideas:
  • Make sandwiches with whole-grain bread. Stores offer white whole-grain bread now.
  • Make pizza with a whole-grain crust.
  • Offer popcorn instead of chips. Some varieties are 100-percent whole-grain.
Whole grains include brown rice, bulgur, oatmeal, whole-grain corn, whole oats, whole rye, whole wheat and wild rice. Check ingredient lists on food labels to see if the words "whole" or "whole grain" appear before the grain ingredient's name. The whole grain should be the first ingredient listed.