Work Groups

Co-Chairs of the Healthy Lifestyles work group are Lisa Baker, Director of the Alexandria Office on Women, and Rika Maeshiro, Vice-Chair of the Alexandria Public Health Advisory Commission.

The Healthy Lifestyles Work Group has initially selected three short- to medium-range strategies, with possible actions, for implementation in Alexandria. These strategies were recommended by the Task Force on Community Preventive Services based on evidence gathered in the rigorous and systematic scientific reviews of published studies conducted by the review teams (www.thecommunityguide.org).

The Healthy Lifestyles Work Group will develop a long-range plan after Inova Health System conducts a Healthy Weight Collaborative survey. This survey will provide Alexandria-specific data that will help guide the selection and implementation of longer-range programs. The three initial strategies are:

Provide "point-of-decision" prompts to encourage stair use at worksites or in public places with stairs (could also include improvements with paint, carpeting, motivational signs, artwork and music in stairwells).

Action: Hang posters that encourage stair use in all public facilities with stairs.

Implement social support interventions to promote physical activity by creating or working within existing networks in a social setting outside the family (e.g., workplace).
- Action: Develop and implement a workplace “competition” for City employees, school employees, hospital employees or others to encourage physical activity through social support. Employees will establish teams and walk or do other types of exercise, individually or as a team, for a specified period of time, while tracking their miles. The Work Group may hold a celebration event at the end and give awards/prizes, certificates, etc.

Continue Proud To Be Smoke Free Program with Alexandria restaurants, to promote the adoption of smoke-free restaurant policies.

Possible action: Provide a forum for a roundtable or discussion between restaurant & foodservice managers that have adopted the smoke-free policy and those that have not, to discuss the implementation of/process for policy change, how policy change has impacted business, etc.
Possible action: Locate funding to hire staff or an intern to continue restaurant recruitment into the program.
Possible action: Recruit a volunteer to continue Proud To Be Smoke Free program.