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The Medical Fitness Association (MFA), in conjunction with the MFA Education Committee, is sponsoring the Second Annual Medical Fitness Week, April 24–30, 2006. The goal of this MFA initiative is to promote an increase in physical activity levels in all ages and to highlight the medical fitness difference. During this international event, medical fitness centers and communities throughout the U.S., Canada, Japan, and India are asked to offer programming that focuses on teaching families the skills they need to develop healthy lifestyle habits. In addition, all participating organizations are asked to raise money--through participation in the Walking Challenge--for local programs and scholarship funds in the fight against childhood obesity. Currently, medical fitness facilities provide health and wellness programs to over two million people.
The obesity epidemic continues to grow: 64% of Americans are overweight; 30% are obese; and, $117 billion a year is spent on medical costs related to being overweight and obese. Less than 20% to 30% of the population engages in recommended levels of physical activity. Focusing efforts on changing negative lifestyle habits of parents and their children is today’s challenge. Medical fitness centers are in key positions to impact the healthcare of their communities and to partner with the medical community in creating models for success.
Walking Challenge
70,000 Steps in 7 Days. The Walking Challenge encourages local communities to get up and move by striving for 70,000 steps in seven days. The challenge will involve wearing a pedometer and tracking how many steps a day a person is achieving. The community who achieves the most steps in the seven days will receive national recognition through press releases, the MFA website, and the 2006 Annual Conference in Las Vegas.
Register Your Facility Today! A complete Planning Guide, logos, poster, pedometer order form, and other materials are available on the Member Only page of the website.
Sponsors
- Medical Fitness Association
- NuStep Inc.
Supporters
- American College of Sports Medicine
- American Council on Exercise
- Omron Healthcare, Inc.
- President’s Challenge ~ Program of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports
The Medical Fitness Association (MFA), a nonprofit organization founded in 1991, is dedicated to medically based fitness and wellness facilities. MFA is a professional membership association whose mission is to ascertain and respond to the needs of centers that are owned, sponsored or operated by hospitals and physician groups throughout the world. The organization also serves as a resource for hospitals and other healthcare related groups ready to enter the wellness and fitness center market. MFA is an affiliate of the American Hospital Association. To learn more contact: Cary Wing, EdD, Executive Director, 804-327-0330 or info@medicalfitness.org.
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