Fulton County PICH Program Hosts the 2016 Active Living Summit

The Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness Partnerships to Improve Community Health (PICH) Program will convene researchers, policymakers, health care professionals, school officials, community leaders, County residents and non-profit organization members to discuss fresh ideas for creating healthy living environments through physical activity at the 2016 Active Living Summit. 

The Summit, titled “Champions for Healthy Living: Making Collective Strides Toward Implementing Effective Policy, Systems and Environmental Change,” will be held on February 5, 2016, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Peachtree Room of the Student Center on the Georgia Institute of Technology campus, 350 Ferst Drive NW, Atlanta, 30332. It is one of several projects the PICH Program is undertaking with its community partners to develop strategies incorporating physical activity, healthy nutrition and tobacco- and smoke-free environments to reduce chronic disease and health disparities among County residents. 

The Summit agenda will focus on physical activity as a way of combatting obesity. A March 2015 study estimated that 33% of 2- to 17-year-olds in Fulton County are obese. Among adults, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the obesity rate is 31% statewide and 66% in Fulton County. Additionally, the 2014 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that just 43% of Georgia high school students were physically active for at least 60 minutes a day.

Summit participants will have opportunities to: 

• learn about the research-proven benefits of greater physical activity
• gain tools and resources that facilitate community-centered physical activity initiatives
• interact with others to collaborate and exchange ideas
• participate in interactive demonstrations to use in their own settings 

The Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness Partnerships to Improve Community Health (PICH) Program is working with community partners to develop strategies and implement programs to promote healthier lifestyles and to reduce both health disparities and the incidence of chronic disease among County residents. The PICH Program is
made possible by funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under cooperative agreement #IU58DP005568-01. For more information, please visit www.fultoncountyga.gov/partnership-to-improve-community-health.To learn more about Fulton County Health and Wellness, please visit www.fultoncountygahealth.org.