CHA Meeting

Vinny and Natalie,

I would really be interested to hear ideas that have stuck with folks since our meeting of CommonHealth ACTION. I’d like to put my thoughts to paper with the hope it might be shared with Ron, Karen, and Beverly, and invite everyone’s ongoing thoughts.

I was struck as I read through all of my notes at how much we talked of issues that illuminated what Ron called “human abandonment and betrayal.” Urban Indian health care, Katrina, and aging were all topics where Ron’s words kept coming back to me. We spoke of a greater need to affirm the existence of others, and the tragedies for the entire society when people are dismissed and marginalized. Aging silos, Ron’s suggestion that over-medicating people was a way of providing technological “fixes” that are actually evidence of our inability to “do things in person” – to attend to others in person (walks, conversations, etc.). The pill-popping solutions pursued by so many made we think that we need a campaign that raises the “commercial-ad” viewing literacy of people who are sucked into these solutions.

I liked very much Natalie’s suggestion that we prepare 40-50 tenets of healthy aging which could be applied to a wide array of programs and activities.

Karen’s admonition that we claim the “open space” where things can grow, evolve, and transform offers an opportunity for a unique place for CHA to do its work.

For me it was very useful to discuss a focus on preparedness for aging. I like preparedness. Most of all, I felt the centering on a perspective on “care-giving” was valuable. How do we interrupt eroding perspectives of aging; dislodge conventional perceptions of care-giving? How do we challenge the corporations and other institutions that are bailing out on their commitments and contracts with our seniors? (What can be done to further spotlight the diminished practices of social justice?) I also think we should spend more time understanding and applying to our work what we can use from literature and practices across cultures where there is valuable guidance on care-giving that shows evidence of dignity, self-esteem, civility, inclusiveness, participating in community.

Obesity is definitely another issue screaming for attention. I think Vinny asked “Who benefits in our society from people being fat?” How can we alter the conditions that create obesity. Are people being sedated into ignorance.

Where’s the RAGE?

Here's a little article that connects from the February 4th Atlanta Journal:

Lessons on obesity sink in at school

More than a dozen Fort Lauderdale, Fla., elementary school students have refused to sell chocolate bars and potato chips to raise money for a class trip, saying they learned in class about the health dangers of such snacks. Their teacher, Monique Manigat, who also is North Side Elementary's wellness liaison, said the students came up with the boycott themselves. She said she tried to organized car washes as an alternative but the school couldn't afford the necessary insurance. The fifth-graders have until the end of February to raise $12,000 for a weeklong trip to Williamsburg, Va., and Washington.

March 18, 2006 Atlanta Journal
Make Girl Scout cookies healthy; kick trans fat

I like Girl Scout cookies. Next year, however, I will not buy any. Look at the box. The motto says: "Where Girls Grow Strong." You'll also see, thanks to the new Food and Drug Administration labeling requirement, that the cookies contain trans fat as well as saturated fat. It's important to limit those fats in our diets, since they increase cholesterol levels, which increases the risk of heart disease. I am trying to teach my children (and their friends) how to eat healthfully. The country's childhood obesity epidemic tells me that many children need much more nutrition education. I urge the Girl Scouts of America to be more of a role model and to insist on the production of a healthier cookie.
ELIZABETH BURKE, Atlanta