Nearly 900,000 people die each year from causes that can be prevented. For the first time, American children may live shorter lives than their parents. Nearly 1 in 3 children are overweight or obese. More than 50 million Americans do not have health insurance.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. With your help, we can make America the healthiest nation – and Indy one of its healthiest communities — in one generation.

In honor of National Public Health Week this week, please join us and watch this video by the American Public Health Association and share it with people you care about.

Catching preventable illnesses and incidents before they develop is the key to improving our nation’s health. There are so many small steps we can take to begin leading healthier lives; sometimes it just takes a little motivation. We CAN work to encourage more people in Indianapolis to take preventive measures to help improve their lives. Little steps can lead to big changes.

One step you can take today to make our nation – and Indy – a healthier place to live is to advocate for the Community Health Center near you.

Community Health Centers like ours play a central role in improving public health – by providing access to affordable, preventive care close to home. They serve as the health care homes for over 20 million people in the United States.  BUT! There are still 60 million Americans, even those WITH insurance, who do not have regular access to health care.

JOIN US!

From now until April 29th, we are collecting petition signatures to show our legislators local support for community health centers.  As Indiana’s largest federally qualified health center and the health care home for over 50,000 Hoosiers, we MUST express our support for the importance for an increase in funding for the Health Centers program.

You can sign the petition online by going to our Facebook page – ADVOCACY - that talks all about the petition & gives live updates from our Twitter feed!

According to their recent press release, out of the 11 schools in the Big Ten, three were assigned home bars in Indianapolis that allow smoking. If Iowa, Michigan and Michigan State fans visiting Indianapolis want to celebrate at their home bars, they will also be exposed to secondhand smoke.

Are you an alum or fan of one of these schools? How do you feel about your options?

As one of the top 15 cities in the United States, only Indianapolis and Philadelphia are not smoke-free. As a city striving to become one of America’s best places to live, shouldn’t Indianapolis consider following the trend and become smoke-free? Not only for the people living here, but for the thousands that visit each year?

At the very least, shouldn’t we at least recognize that Michigan is a smoke-free state and allow BOTH of their universities to have a home bar that is also smoke-free?

With a brand new and expanded convention center and as the home of Super Bowl 2012, are we missing out on opportunities because we are NOT a smoke-free city? For instance, the American Public Health Association will not host a conference in a city that allows indoor workplace smoking and their annual conference draws 13,000 attendees.

Tell us what you think!!  Comment below.

HealthNet’s Health Promotions team offers free tobacco cessation counseling to all.  If you or someone you know is looking to quit, refer them here.  The earlier, the better!