It Takes A Village to Get--and Keep--Us Moving: Prioritizing Proven Strategies, Powerful Parenterships and Popular Culture to Spark Physical Activity Among Children and Youth

Corporate America spends billions annually promoting unhealthy food and sedentary behaviors, fueling the unprecedented obesity epidemic facing the nation, threatening to shorten the lifespan of millions of Americans. African American children and youth are particularly at risk. Public health advocates have limited revenues to reverse the child obesity epidemic, and must act as focused "Davids" facing a ubiquitous "Goliath". This presentation will describe work done in the District of Columbia to prioritize a proven strategy that promotes physical activity, linking strategic partners and popular cultrue to spark an increase in physical activity among African American children and youth. "Instant Recess" is a tested national strategy developed by UCLA's Toni Yancey, MD, MPH, implementing ten minutes of structured physical activity in targeted settings, incorporating indigenous cultures to motivate physically inactive young people to move. The DC Department of Health is supporting Instant Recess in various settings via Federal Preventive Health Block Grant funds. Instant Recess-Let's Move DC brings together strategic partners--including faith based leaders, labor unions, youth serving organizations, and popular local musicians--to create Instant Recess Breaks appealing to young and old alike. Presenters will describe why Instant Recess is an effective strategy for schools to integrate physical activity into a time crunched daily academic schedule. The presentation will include children from a local youth organization and/or school who will demonstrate a locally created Instant Recess Break.