CDC administers the Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey, and all hospitals and birth centers in the US that provide maternity care are invited to participate. Eighty-six percent of the 43 eligible hospitals and birth centers in SC responded to the 2007 mPINC. This report provides strengths and challenges across SC maternity care settings and discusses opportunities for improvements to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding mothers and infants in the state.

Download the Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey

Mark Sanford, Governor of South Carolina proclaims June 2010 as Obesity Awareness Month throughout the state and encourages all South Carolinians to join in obesity prevention efforts where they live, work, and play and to make healthier decisions in their day to day lives.

View the Governor’s Proclamation.

The State Indicator Report on Physical Activity 2010 includes data about individual behaviors related to physical activity, as well as the presence or absence of physical features and policies that can make being physically active either easy or hard to do. The report looks at community access to parks or playgrounds, community centers, and sidewalks or walking paths in neighborhoods. The data shows substantial limits to the number of parks and other areas where physical activity would be convenient. The full report is available at http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/professionals/reports/index.html.

The South Carolina Action Guidesummarizes physical activity levels among the nation and the state and also provides potential action items to support state-level policy and environmental changes to increase physical activity.

Eat Smart, Move More SC joins the American Heart Association in aggressively pushing for action on the federal Child Nutrition Act this year, and members of Congress and the U.S. Senate need to hear from you today! Members will be in their home districts the week of the Memorial Day Holiday, and this is an ideal time for them to be hearing from you “their constituents” on what is important to you.

Your legislators need to hear from you in order to help move this bill forward. In SC, a third of our youth between the ages of 10-17 are overweight or obese. As obesity rates continue to rise, we will see an increased prevalence of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes in our population at an even younger age. Less physical activity in schools and unhealthy food choices in the school environment continue to contribute to this epidemic. Schools should be part of the solution, not the problem.

Please urge Congress to reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act THIS YEAR so we can improve school meal nutrition, remove junk food from vending machines and strengthen school wellness policies. Not only will this improve children’s health, but it will help children learn more effectively and become higher academic achievers.

ESMMSC is forwarding a petition created by the American Heart Association asking you to sign and either hand deliver or fax to both of your senator’s district offices and also to your U.S. House member’s district office. Please pass along the petition as you see fit. We welcome all the petitions we can get!

Download the Petition

The National Physical Activity Plan (www.physicalactivityplan.org) is focused on making societal changes to make routine physical activity simply integrated into daily life. More walkable neighborhoods; counseling from doctors on the importance of staying active; increased opportunities for physical activity and physical education in schools – all these are goals of the National Physical Activity Plan and will make our nation and community healthier – naturally.

View the full press release

Many SC communities are already taking steps to make the healthy choice the easy choice. The SC Obesity State Plan contains strategies for increasing physical activity, which are further supported by the National Plan. Changes are being made in communities, childcare centers, faith based organizations, health care, schools and worksites that will provide opportunities to increase physical activity. To learn more about how to get started making healthy changes in your community, visit www.eatsmartmovemoresc.org/Options-for-action/.

Now is the time for communities to come together to positively combat the obesity epidemic impacting our communities and state. SC has the fifth worst overweight/obesity rate in the nation! By working together we can make a difference not only in the health and quality of life of South Carolinians but also in our state’s economic vitality. Take action today. Join Eat Smart, Move More SC at one of the 3 workshops across the state:

Learn how communities can come together and improve access to healthy eating and active living. This FREE three hour workshop will guide communities on how to get started on a “shoestring budget”.

Register Online TODAY by clicking on the link:
CLEMSON, SC on May 13
COLUMBIA, SC on June 16
CONWAY, SC on July 20

Eat Smart, Move More SC’s 2010 Obesity Prevention Summit brought Partners together to discuss, understand and address the causes, affects and prevention methods of obesity. It offered an interactive and engaging look at best and promising practices to impact healthy eating and include sessions on competitive school foods, worksite trends and best practices, and engaging communities in healthy eating and active living. In it’s fifth year, the Summit featured keynote presentations by Carole Garner, Team Leader, Engagement and Coordination of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity, and Mayor Chip Johnson of Hernando, Mississippi.

View and download the speaker’s presentations

Through support of The Fullerton Foundation, Inc., faculty at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and Duke University Medical Center developed the Community Nutrition Networking Guide: Building Community Networks for Healthy Weight in the Carolinas (http://uscm.med.sc.edu/CommunityNetworkGuide2007.pdf).

The Guide includes information on how to build a community network and how to design, implement, and evaluate programs. Community coalitions in N.C. and S.C. (Fairfield County, Lancaster County, and Marlboro County) and samples of programs implemented are featured in the Guide.

Please see the link below for the Battling Obesity through Improving Nutrition and Physical Activity funding opportunity through the Office on Women’s Health. The purpose of the funding is to prevent, raise awareness of, or respond to, overweight and obesity problems in communities within the eight southeastern states (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, and TN). Projects may focus on: 1) increasing opportunities for physical activity or access to affordable, healthy foods for individuals and families; or 2) increasing public awareness about improving nutrition or the importance of being physically active.

Download the RFA – Obesity RFA

The grant will fund 8 projects. The maximum award is $2,000. Applications must be received by March 19, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time. Submit applications in Microsoft Word or PDF format to owhapplication@jsi.com or mail to JSI, ATTN: Megan Hiltner,1725 Blake Street, Suite 400, Denver, Colorado 80202.

Protect the Student’s Health and Fitness Act of South Carolina!

House Ways and Means Education K-12 Subcommittee members are reviewing budget provisos that could undermine the Student’s Health and Fitness Act.  ESMMSC Partners need to act now!  Call House Ways and Means Subcommittee members and your House member to let them know you support the Student Health and Fitness Act.  Please click on the document for more details, how to contact your legislators and talking points.

Read the complete alert: ESMMSC Action Alert: Protect The Student’s Health and Fitness Act of South Carolina