Lt. Governor John Carney addresses national summit on disease prevention and health promotion
Dover – Lt. Gov. John C. Carney, Jr. today addressed more than 1,000 health advocates from across the country at the second annual Steps to a HealthierUS Summit in Baltimore. He was invited to speak by Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the summit focused on the HealthierUS pillars, which encourage Americans to be physically active every day, adopt a nutritious diet, get preventive screenings and make healthy choices. The program also highlighted chronic disease prevention by addressing diabetes, obesity, heart disease, stroke, cancer and asthma.
Carney was chosen as a featured speaker based on his physical activity initiative, “The Lt. Governor’s Challenge” and his work as chairman of the Delaware Health Care Commission. He was joined by Julie Gerberding, MD, MPH, Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The summit brought together community organizations, businesses, health departments, academics, healthcare providers, the insurance industry, government officials and legislators to discuss policies that promote healthy environments.
“I’m proud that the Lt. Governor’s Challenge was in the national spotlight,” Carney said. “The incidence of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers is too high in Delaware. Motivating someone to be active is one way to greatly reduce their chances of contracting one of these deadly diseases. That’s what the Lt. Governor’s Challenge is all about.”
The Challenge, which began in the spring of 2002 and has more than 11,000 participants, is designed to encourage people to increase their physical activity each day. Participants track their activities over three months and are awarded points for each. At the end of three months, they are awarded a gold, silver or bronze medal based on their total points. Most importantly, physical activity becomes a part of their daily schedule.
Those who want more information on The Lt. Governor’s Challenge or the Steps to a HealthierUS Summit should call the Lt. Governor’s office at (302) 577-8787 or (302) 744-4333.
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