“Physical activity is an important lifestyle behavior to instill early in life."
ST. LOUIS (PRWEB) September 17, 2020
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recognized the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) as one of the first organizations to join the National Youth Sports Strategy (NYSS) Champion platform. HHS released the NYSS in September 2019 in response to Presidential Executive Order 13824, which called for a national strategy to increase youth sports participation. The NYSS is the first Federal roadmap with actionable strategies to increase participation in youth sports, increase awareness of the benefits of youth sports participation, monitor and evaluate youth sports participation, and recruit and engage volunteers in youth sports programming.
NYSS aims to unite U.S. youth sports culture around a shared vision: that one day all youth will have the opportunity, motivation, and access to play sports — regardless of their race, ethnicity, sex, ability, or ZIP code. NYSS Champions represent organizations that are working towards achieving this vision.
As an NYSS Champion, ACLM has demonstrated their organization’s support of youth sports and commitment to the NYSS vision. ACLM will be recognized along with other NYSS Champions on health.gov as part of a growing network of organizations partnering with HHS to improve the youth sports landscape in America.
“We know children who obtain regular physical activity gain important physical and mental health benefits, which are more important than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic,” explains ADM Brett Giroir, M.D., Assistant Secretary for Health at HHS. “I’m thrilled to acknowledge the work of the NYSS Champions who are furthering the mission of the NYSS and helping to foster a lifelong love of sports and physical activity for our Nation’s youth.”
“Physical activity is an important lifestyle behavior to instill early in life, to help ward off the possibility and impact of chronic disease later on,” said ACLM President Dexter Shurney, MD, MBA, MPH, FACLM, Dip ABLM. “Physical activity is equally beneficial to mental as well as physical health. We support the NYSS vision of equity in youth sports as we believe it can plant the seeds for overall long-term health equity. We are proud to be recognized as a NYSS Champion.”
ABOUT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE: ACLM is the medical professional society for more than 4,500 members dedicated to the advancement and clinical practice of Lifestyle Medicine as the foundation of a transformed and sustainable health care system. Lifestyle Medicine is the use of a whole food, plant-predominant diet, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances and positive social connection as the primary therapeutic modalities for treating and reversing chronic disease.
More than a professional association, ACLM is a galvanized force for positive change. ACLM addresses the need for quality education and certification, supporting its members in their individual practices and in their collective mission to nationally and globally promote Lifestyle Medicine as the first treatment option, as opposed to a first option of treating symptoms and consequences with expensive, ever increasing quantities of pills and procedures. ACLM members are united in their desire to identify and eradicate the root cause of disease. Learn more at LifestyleMedicine.org.
The NYSS Champion is a service mark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Used with permission. Participation by ACLM does not imply endorsement by HHS/ODPHP.
ABOUT THE OFFICE OF DISEASE PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION: The President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition (PCSFN) is a Federal Advisory Committee run by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) and plays a vital role in keeping the Nation healthy. PCSFN and ODPHP accomplish this by setting national health goals and objectives and supporting programs, services, and education activities that improve the health of all Americans. PCSFN and ODPHP are part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To learn more about ODPHP visit health.gov.