For Release: IMMEDIATE
Date: January 17, 2006

MyEatSmartMoveMore web site, statewide fitness activities launched during Healthy Weight Week

RALEIGH—Help is on the way for those who are struggling to keep their New Year’s resolutions to eat healthy and become more active.

The N.C. Division of Public Health has launched a new consumer Web site, MyEatSmartMoveMore.com, to coincide with national Healthy Weight Week, January 15-21.

The site focuses on helping consumers get a better handle on the health behaviors that everyone needs to do more of each day.

Preparing and eating more meals at home, decreasing TV time and increasing physical activity, cutting down on portion sizes of foods and beverages, choosing water over high-calorie beverages, and increasing fruits and vegetables are some of the featured health tips.

MyEatSmartMoveMore.com also has interactive tools you can use to calculate your body mass index (an indicator of how healthy your weight is), assess your health, and analyze the calories in the foods you eat.

For those who didn’t make a New Year’s resolution, try Resolv-O-Matic on the web site. The Resolv-O-Matic is a fun activity that suggests weekly resolutions and lets you print reminder coupons for your wallet, refrigerator or bathroom mirror to help you stay on track.

The site also features resources for North Carolinians who want to make healthy changes in their homes, preschools, schools, churches, worksites and communities. For example, click on “school,” and find information you can use to talk to your child’s school teacher or principal about making physical activity a regular part of the school day, or making sure the foods and drinks sold in school are healthier.

Eat Smart, Move More…NC is a statewide healthy eating and physical activity movement that helps North Carolinians of all ages and abilities to eat smart and move more where they live, learn, earn, play and pray.

The N.C. Division of Public Health and its state and local partners will publicly launch the 2006 Eat Smart, Move More…North Carolina campaign with a kickoff events statewide.

The events in the six media markets are:

• DHHS Wellness Fair/ 2006 Eat Smart, Move More…NC campaign kickoff Wednesday, January 18, 11:00 am to 3 p.m., Haywood Gym, Dorothea Dix Campus, Raleigh. DHHS employees will have the opportunity to get a number of health checks, take mini-exercise classes, and participate in a health walk led by DHHS Secretary Carmen Hooker Odom.
• Davie County School Employees’ Health Fair. Wednesday, January 18, 8:00-2:00 p.m., Central Davie Education Center, 220 Campbell Rd., Mocksville. Health fair featuring tips on eating smart and moving more featuring the Fast Food and Families program and health screenings. Sponsored by Davie County Health Department and Davie County Healthy Carolinians.
• Eat Smart, Move More…Pitt County Teachers. Wednesday, January 18, 2:30 p.m., Wintergreen Elementary, 4710 County Home Road, Greenville. School teachers will attend a motivational rally to begin a new physical fitness program so that they can serve as positive role models for their students.
• Wilmington Families Eating Smart and Moving More will be held Thursday, January 19, 6:00 p.m., Wilmington Health Associates, 8108-B Market Street, Wilmington. Kick-off event for family education program. Families will have the opportunity check their weight, get their body mass index, observe preparation of healthy foods, and sample the finished product.
• A New Year and A Healthier Me. Thursday, January 19, 2006 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. on the first floor of Triangle Town Center Mall, Triangle Town Center Drive, Raleigh. Health screenings will be offered to the public along with advice from physical activity and nutrition expert.
• Eat Smart, Move More…NC: Belmont Highlights Simple Solutions for Healthy Eating and Physical Activity. Friday, January 20, 6:00-9:00 p.m., Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, 110 Lincoln Street, Belmont. Eat Smart Move More education program for adults and children, sponsored by the Gaston County Fitness and Nutrition Council and the Cooperative Extension Service.
• ABC (Asheville-Buncombe County) Let’s Go. Friday, January 20, 6:00-9:00 p.m. at the Garden of Prayer Cathedral of Love, 25 Forsyth St., Asheville. An event that encourages faith congregations to get 150 minutes of physical activity each week.

For more information, see www.EatSmartMoveMoreNC.com.

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