Thursday, December 17, 2009

Sen. Feinstein e-mails on PA!

12-17-09: Check out this e-mail letter from Senator Diane Feinstein on a PA bill I commented on to her:
Dear Dr. Medina:

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for the "Physical Activity Guidelines for America Act of 2009." I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.

With the growing prevalence of diabetes, obesity and other chronic conditions, I agree that immediate action is needed to address the roots of our nation's increasing obesity rate. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the percentage of young people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980. Among children and teens aged six to nineteen years, 18 percent (over nine million young people) are considered overweight. Eating and exercise habits formed during childhood can have lifelong effects. Obesity has been shown to cause numerous health problems and can make existing health conditions difficult to treat. I strongly believe that it is important to increase awareness about obesity and educate the public about proper nutrition and the benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle.

On October 20, 2009, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced the "Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Act" (S. 1810). This legislation would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to prepare and promote physical activity guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence, which would be updated every five years. These guidelines would be for children, adults, seniors and people with disabilities, and would ensure that all Americans understand how much exercise they should be getting.

Currently, S. 1810 is pending in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. While I am not a member of that Committee, please know that I will keep your comments in mind should this legislation come before the full Senate for consideration.

Again, thank you for contacting me. If you should have any further comments or questions, please feel free to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841. Best regards.

Also, may I take this opportunity to wish you a happy and healthy holiday season. And may 2010 be a good year for us all.

Sincerely yours,

Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator


Further information about my position on issues of concern to California and the Nation are available at my website http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/. You can also receive electronic e-mail updates by subscribing to my e-mail list at http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ENewsletterSignup.Signup.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Bike-a-thon

12-6-09: The Azure Hills Church sponsored it's annual Christmas is for kids bike-a-thon to benefit kids of the families served by our food bank. Funds raised would go towards gifts for these kids.

Jerry and Beth Bernatos, directors of the food bank, helped to coordinate the event, while Jan Michaelis and Tom Haglund organized and led out in the bike ride itself. There were 3 groups: 50-mile, 25-mile, and a 10-mile Family group (led by yours truly ;-).

It was cold and overcast, but it wasn't raining and the sun did peek out a bit. We rode on the bike path that runs from the mountains all the way to Huntington Beach, so we didn't have to deal with traffic--nice!!!

Check out the pictures and see how fun the ride was!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Newest Tebow Fan!

12-2-09: I like football, but don't spend a lot of time watching it, pro or college. I read about Tim Tebow in a recent Sports Illustrated issue, and was very impressed with what he does OFF the field (eg. mission trips to the Philippines--yeah!!!) more than what he does on the field!

Well I just read another news release about the Florida's Governor's Physical Fitness Council, which Tebow is the co-chair, and this made me even a bigger fan now! Check it out:

"Earlier this month, Governor Crist and council co-chair Tim Tebow invited homeschooled students to participate in the Governor’s Fitness Challenge. In the letter to all homeshooling families, Tebow shares how, as a homeschooler himself, he learned the importance of physical fitness at an early age. Homeschool students and students attending schools that do not participate in the challenge can participate as individuals simply by registering at http://www.healthyfloridians.com/contact.html."

Way to go, Tim! As a homeschooling parent, I applaud his stepping up for homeschoolers and their fitness. I wish CA and other states would do the same! Knowing that he was also homeschooled is another big plus in my book.