CONTACT:
Patricia Beatty-Gonzalez, American Heart Association, 214 706-1285
patriciagonzalez@heartorg
Toiya Honore, American Heart Association, 214 706-1456
toiyahonore@heartorg
Genéa Luck, American Diabetes Association, 703 549-1500 x2077
gluck@diabetesorg
Anne Isenhower, American Cancer Society, 404 417-5850
AnneIsenhower@cancerorg
Ad Council Press Office, The Advertising Council, 212 984-1964
efisher@adcouncilorg
Sisterhood is Healthy Campaign Helps African-American Women Improve
Their Health
American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association and American Heart
Association
Join Advertising Council on Health Education Campaign
NEW YORK, February 15, 2006 - Two-thirds of all deaths in the United States
can be attributed to these four serious diseases: cancer, diabetes, heart
disease and stroke, and African-American women are at particularly high
risk Thats why The Advertising Council, along with the American Cancer
Society, American Diabetes Association and American Heart Association, has
developed the second phase of a three-year public health campaign to
increase awareness of the
impact that lifestyle choices have on these four
diseases A television public service advertisement PSA, Bus Stop,
will air nationally beginning in February and will run throughout the year,
targeting the African-American community
Focus group research conducted by the three organizations in conjunction
with The Advertising Council reveal that African-American women are aware
of the importance of eating healthfully and staying active, yet many lack
the continued motivation to maintain healthy lifestyle habits Our goal
is to empower African American women, particularly those ages 35-50, to
make healthy everyday choices to help reduce their risk of developing these
diseases, and to encourage them to help their family and friends make these
changes, as well, says Gena R Carter, MD, a director on the American
Cancer Societys national board of directors and a staff radiologist at
South Shore Breast Evaluation Center, Scituate, Mass For many people,
that support from others can provide that extra motivation needed to keep
living a healthier life The PSA tagline, Sisterhood is Healthy, urges
women to encourage and support their friends to eat healthfully and get
active
-more-
Health Groups Target African American Women p 2/3
Establishing healthy lifestyle habits is especially important for African
American women, who are two to four times more likely than Caucasian women
to develop type 2 diabetes, said Andrea Williams, RD, LD, CDE, Chair of
the American Diabetes Association African American Project Team It is
crucial that these women - who are often gatekeepers for their families
health as well as their own - empower one another to maintain habits that
are known to prevent or delay the onset of this devastating disease
It is doubly important for African-American women to pay attention to
heart disease and stroke risk factors because the prevalence of heart
disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases is 447 percent for
African-American women compared to 324 percent in white women, said
Anjanette Ferris, MD, American Heart Association spokesperson and clinical
fellow in cardiovascular disease at Columbia University College of
Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York
City We want women to know their risk factors and support each other in
making the right choices everyday to reduce
their risks
An outstanding number of African American women in our country delay
making healthy lifestyle choices, despite their high risk for a number of
chronic diseases, according to Peggy Conlon, President CEO of The
Advertising Council Our research has found that when it comes to
choosing healthy behaviors, peers are among the primary influencers for
this community I am confident that this inspirational work, created pro
bono by Vigilante, will empower women to motivate and support their friends
in embracing life-saving behaviors
The campaign is the result of an unprecedented collaboration between the
nations leading not-for-profit health agencies to develop a joint
prevention initiative, Everyday Choices For A Healthier Life The
initiative is designed to encourage Americans to lower their risk of
chronic diseases by following a unified set of recommendations:
Eat a healthy diet as a key component to achieving and maintaining a
healthy body weight
Be physically active
Dont smoke, and avoid second-hand smoke
See a physician to assess your personal health risks
The three organizations sponsor a joint Web site, wwweverydaychoicesorg,
featuring helpful tips
and links to more information on healthy eating,
physical activity, weight management, smoking cessation and recommended
medical tests, as well as resources to help women make healthful lifestyle
choices To view the PSAs, visit
wwwadcouncilorg/campaigns/disease_prevention/ Also, a free educational
brochure provides valuable and practical information people can use to help
protect themselves from cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke The
brochure is available by calling 1-866-399-6789 toll-free
-more-
Health Groups Target African American Women p 3/3
About the organizations:
The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major
health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer
through research, education, advocacy and service Founded in 1913 and with
national headquarters in Atlanta, the Society has 13 regional Divisions and
local offices in 3,400 communities, involving millions of volunteers across
the United States Visit the American Cancer Society at wwwcancerorg or
call 1-800-ACS-2345
The American Diabetes Association is the nations premier voluntary health
organization supporting
diabetes research, information and advocacy
Founded in 1940, the Associations mission is to prevent and cure diabetes
and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes The
Associations commitment to research is reflected through its scientific
meetings; education and provider recognition programs; and its Research
Foundation and Nationwide Research Program, which fund breakthrough studies
looking into the cure, prevention, and treatment of diabetes and its
complications Visit the American Diabetes Association at wwwdiabetesorg
or call 1-800-DIABETES 1-800-342-2383
Since 1924 the American Heart Association has helped protect people of all
ages and ethnicities from the ravages of heart disease and stroke These
diseases, the nations No 1 and No 3 killers, claim more than 930,000
American lives a year The association invested more than 439 million in
fiscal year 2003-04 for research, professional and public education, and
advocacy and community service programs so people across America can live
stronger, longer lives Visit the American Heart Association at
wwwamericanheartorg or call 1-800-AHA-USA1 1-800-242-8721
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a
rich history
of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries
to deliver critical messages to the American public Having produced
literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social
issues of the day, the Ad Council has effected, and continues to effect,
tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action and
saving lives To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit
wwwadcouncilorg
Source:youngagain.org
