AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR FITNESS AND NUTRITION ENCOURAGES UNITY 2004 JOURNALISTS TO PLAY ROLE IN STRUGGLE AGAINST OBESITY

Washington, August 4, 2004 – American Council for Fitness and Nutrition (ACFN) advisory board member Cecilia Pozo-Fileti, M.S., R.D., FADA issued the following statement in regard to the UNITY 2004 conference:

“Obesity has reached epidemic proportions and has serious health implications in Hispanic communities. With the media’s help, we can let Latinos know that they can adopt a healthy lifestyle without giving up traditional foods and ingredients. With the right balance in regular physical activity and nutrition, Hispanics can achieve long-term health. ACFN encourages the media to recognize the important educational role it can play in combating obesity, particularly among at-risk populations.

The Latino community has been particularly hard hit by the obesity epidemic. For this reason the American Council for Fitness and Nutrition is collaborating with local leaders to educate and encourage as many citizens as possible regarding the importance of healthy lifestyle choices. ACFN has already begun a series of new initiatives to address these issue as part of our Salud: Un ingrediente para la familia (Health: An ingredient for the family) campaign. The campaign includes establishing ties to Hispanic grassroots organizations at the national and local levels and the development of materials and information kits to raise awareness about the obesity epidemic and its effects on the community.”

Hispanic obesity rates are higher than rates among non-Hispanic whites and continue to grow. The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion reports that rates of obesity among Hispanics doubled between 1991 and 2001 from 11.6 percent to 23.7 percent. According to the National Center for Statistics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 23 percent of Hispanic males and 27.5 percent of Hispanic females are obese. These rates are higher than those for non-Hispanic whites, which are at 22 and 21 percent, respectively.

CONTACT
Laura Sheehan
202.715.1526
laura@acfn.org

Christine Tucci
202.715.1517
christine@acfn.org

ABOUT THE AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR FITNESS AND NUTRITION: The American Council for Fitness and Nutrition (ACFN) is a non-profit organization that brings together food and beverage companies, associations, and health and nutrition advocates to work toward viable long-term solutions to the nation's obesity epidemic. ACFN represents a diverse group of organizations and is guided by an advisory board of experts in the fields of nutrition, physical activity and behavior change. ACFN works with partners to raise awareness of programs and policies that seek to improve health and wellness in America. For more information, please visit www.acfn.org.