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Free Resources | Land Use | Articles |
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Is Physical Inactivity Draining our Government Coffers? Cont… Sources of assistance The Active Living Leadership Initiative, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, offers a Leadership Action Strategies Guide to support healthy community design. The guide offers more than 100 policies and programs that government leaders can adopt. To assist each jurisdiction in determining their own costs related to physical inactivity, Active Living Leadership has developed a cost calculator that estimates the medical cost, workers' compensation and sick leave costs for communities and business, small and large. This information should provide local and state leaders, policymakers and business professionals a resource when considering budget allocations, policy options and the health/fiscal benefits related to increasing opportunities for physical activity. The foundation is currently supporting activities undertaken by the Local Government Commission, International City/County Management Association (ICMA), National Association of Counties (NACo), and others, to educate local government leaders about the importance of creating places where people can incorporate walking into their everyday lives. The Local Government Commission is funded to provide direct technical assistance to selected California jurisdictions. California's Department of Health Services has established the Healthy Transportation Network, in partnership with the Local Government Commission, the Rails to Trails Conservancy, and the California Bicycle Coalition to provide local elected officials assistance in creating active living environments for their residents. Issues of overweight and obesity are not solely the responsibility of individuals. People need supportive environments that enable them to make healthy lifestyle choices. Local, regional and state government authorities are responsible for those decisions that shape the design of communities and as such, need to investigate innovative strategies and alternative resource allocation methods that improve health and quality of life for their residents. And not to be sneezed at — a five percent increase in physical activity levels in the California population could produce cost benefits of $1.5 billion per year. Resources Active Living Leadership* Active Living Research* Healthy Transportation
Network International City/County Management Association *Programs of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Page: 1 | 2
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