April 2, 2002  

HEALTH DEPARTMENT WORKS WITH AREA PHYSICIANS
TO HELP ‘PRESCRIBE’ EXERCISE

Charlotte, NC – The Mecklenburg County Health Department and the Mecklenburg Council on Health and Fitness want to make it easier for doctors to talk about exercise with their patients. 

To emphasize the importance of this message, a “prescription pad” has been developed for physicians to prescribe physical activity. 

The front of the prescription pad is a reminder from the Surgeon General that a “lack of physical activity is detrimental to your health,” and a recommendation from the patient’s doctor to participate in daily physical activity.  On the back of the prescription are simple suggestions on how to add more activity to the patient’s daily life. 

Resource lists and posters for exam and waiting rooms will also be given to healthcare practices that participate in the program.   

Research shows that 80 percent of Americans cite their physicians as their primary source of information about health.  That research also shows that few physicians talk with their patients about physical activity. 

“By working together, we can eliminate Charlotte from the list of ‘Fattest Cities in America’,” said health educator Priscilla Laula, referring to a recent magazine article. 

The Mecklenburg Council on Health and Fitness is the local branch of the North Carolina Governor’s Council on Physical Activity and Health.  Its goal is to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity in relation to one’s health and to increase the number of people in our county who are moderately physically active. 

For more information about the Mecklenburg Council on Health and Fitness, contact Priscilla Laula at the Mecklenburg County Health Department at 704-336-5392 or plaula@carolinas.org