Web site - CSG's Healthy States

A partnership of The Council of State Governments (CSG), the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) and the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL), Healthy States is an initiative which provides tools to effect successful strategies promoting wellness in society.

In public health, the goal is to prevent disease or injury in a whole population--a city, state or country, for example. That's different from the goal of health care, which is to care for individuals...This Web site is focused on the major public health issues facing states today.

Tackling such conditions as diabetes, cancer, obesity, infectious diseases, disabilities and birth defects, and more, Healthy States provides online publications, webcasts, conferences, and events for legislators, staff, and other policymakers

regarding population-based interventions to promote health and to prevent disease, injury, disability, and premature death, appropriate for use by communities and health care systems.

The next live webcast (Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006 2:00 - 3:00 pm EDT) is, School Wellness Policies: Nutrition and Physical Activity, addressing the "growing epidemic of childhood obesity." Free to policymakers and staff (requires initial registration), this webcast is to examine "innovative policies and programs to improve childhood nutrition and physical activity."

Publications offered include, Healthy States e-Weekly and Healthy States Quarterly, both newsletters with national and state reports, links, and "information on emerging and priority public health issues, new and existing research in public health, and other news of interest to state policymakers."

A recently released online document is their, State Official's Guide to Wellness, (Spring 2006, pdf, 79 pages/2.1MB),

a snapshot of the current state of health in America...Most useful to state policymakers is information on how states have begun to use wellness initiatives to promote healthy behaviors.

CSG's Healthy States has as advisers the Association of State and Territorial Health Officers (ASTHO) and the American Public Health Association (APHA), and is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).