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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, JULY 28
Bruce Artman (left) and Dr. Ross Anderson (right) attentively listen as BJ Shaneman focuses on strategies in getting youth involved in nutrition education and physical fitness.
Brenda Loube, Corporate Fitness Works, demonstrates how activity shapes a healthy future for everyone.
Kate Coler, undersecretary of the US Department of Agriculture, highlights the importance of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and pyramid. .

Lisa Lachenmayr of Jump Rope, Eat Smart-JumpSmart discusses in after school activities in the Baltimore area to keep children active.

Audience member takes notes during the Baltimore panel discussion.
Susie Jefferies of Be Healthy, Be You tells of her program for Baltimore communities on healthy lifestyle initiatives.

“You don’t have to overhaul your life overnight. Small changes can make that significant change down the road. We’re always helping people just make small, attainable steps,” said Melissa Johnson, executive director of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, at the fourth of eight TRIUMPH events.

Keynote speaker Kate Coler, deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), discussed the 2005 food guidelines and pyramid recently issued by the USDA. “We touch the lives of one in five Americans, so we see our programs as a great tool to try to motivate people to move to a healthier lifestyle,” she said.

ACFN Advisory Board member Lisa Katic, R.D., moderated the Baltimore event, which was well attended by community leaders and professionals from health, nutrition, fitness and wellness organizations. Panelists included experts in nutrition and fitness field who discussed the importance of balancing physical activity and nutrition. Baltimore panelists included:

  • Melissa Johnson, M.S., executive director on the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
  • Ross Andersen, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
  • Brenda Loube, M.S., president and co-founder of Corporate Fitness Works, Inc. (CFW), chairperson for the Maryland Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and board member for the International Council for Active Aging
  • Bruce Artman, M.S., technical director for McCormick & Company, Inc.’s domestic industrial business, McCormick Flavor Group (MFG)
  • Barbarajean (Bj) Robinson-Shaneman, L.P.N., life skills coordinator for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Maryland.

ACFN recognized community programs that are making a difference in the fight against obesity. The following individuals shared the work they are doing to help Marylanders live healthier lifestyles:

  • Lisa Lachenmayr, Jump Rope, Eat Smart – JumpSmart. JumpSmart is an interactive nutrition and physical activity program. Youth develop new jump rope skills, create routines, learn about healthy eating and enjoy themselves. After-school providers are trained using a train-the-trainer model on the nutrition and jump rope curricula. More than 850 youth have been involved in Baltimore alone. While JumpSmart is co-ed, the target group is African-American girls in late elementary to early middle school.
  • Jeanne Gourley, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., The Eating Together Program. The Eating Together Program in Baltimore County (ETIB) is a federally funded congregate meals program. One of the purposes of the program is to provide an opportunity for seniors to socialize while enjoying a nutritious meal. The program provides meals in community centers, senior residences, senior centers and, in some areas, the meals are also served in local nutrition sites—facilities that offer some social and fitness activities without the wider range of programs found in senior centers. As a part of ETIB, a registered dietitian regularly offers free nutrition education, counseling and cooking demonstrations at sites where the meals are served.
  • Kim Figoura, C.H.A.M.P. (Church/Community Health Awareness & Monitoring Program). C.H.A.M.P. is a community-based health education and prevention program focusing on cardiovascular disease risk factors. Its mission is to place strategies for behavior change in the hands of people who can motivate and assist one another in adopting healthier lifestyles and becoming more self-reliant.
  • Susie Jeffries, Be Healthy, Be You. In an effort to provide the communities of Baltimore with free health education, the University of Maryland Statewide Health Network's Baltimore City Office has implemented a series of workshops designed to encourage healthy lifestyles. Now in its third year, Be Healthy, Be You (formerly A Healthier Me in 2003) is a four-part program offered in collaboration with ETIB. Sessions cover topics such as breast and prostate health, hypertension and stroke, diet and colorectal cancer and obesity and physical activity. Priority populations include churches, public housing complexes and community senior centers.