Verona supports Active People, Healthy Nation initiative

Verona joined a growing number of municipalities to pledge support for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Active People, Healthy Nation initiative.

During their June 13 meeting, council members Dr. Nancy Carpenter, Red Craig, Trish Hredzak-Showalter and Sylvia Provenza took turns reading a proclamation that “recognizes the importance of providing access to safe and convenient places to be physically active for people regardless of age, race, income, socioeconomic status, disability status and geographic location.”

Hredzak-Showalter brought the impetus for the show of support through her participation in the Active People, Healthy Nation Champions Institute conducted by Smart Growth America, a nonprofit that advocates for livable places, healthy people and shared prosperity.

Todd Rosenbaum, community advocacy adviser with the American Heart Association, joined the meeting virtually to commend the borough’s actions.

“We know that being more active benefits everyone and helps us live longer, healthier lives,” he said. “So I just wanted to say thank you very much and applaud your efforts for making it easier for our friends and neighbors to get physically active.”

The Active People, Healthy Nation initiative seeks to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027. In January 2021, the Maricopa Association of Governments in Arizona passed the first support proclamation, “showing commitment to active transportation and increasing physical activity in their community,” according to the CDC.

Among the points of emphasis in Verona’s proclamation:

• About one out of every five children and two of every five adults in the United States have obesity, and only half the adults and one-quarter of youth get the recommended amounts of aerobic physical activity they need to help reduce and prevent chronic diseases.

• Physically active people generally live longer and are at less risk for serious health problems such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and some cancers. For people with chronic diseases, physical activity can help manage associated conditions and complications.

• Building active and walkable communities can help increase levels of retail economic activity and employment, increase property values, support neighborhood revitalization and reduce health care costs.

• The borough plans to implement strategies including activity-friendly routes to everyday destinations, access to places for physical activity, and youth programs implementing a combination of approaches to increase physical activity before, during and after school.

To view the complete proclamation, visit veronaborough.org/active-people-healthy-nation-proclamation.