Real Women Choose to Get Active

New AccreditationBenefits TrainersIt’s official: The Cooper Institute’s Personal Trainer Certification Program (CI-PTr) is now accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

“For individuals wanting to become personal trainers, our accreditation demonstrates that we provide a certification examination that was developed using a systematic process that includes a job analysis, use of subject matter experts and standard test measurement protocols,” said Laura Fast, M.B.A., director of credentialing certification at The Cooper Institute.

To receive this ambitious designation, CI had to fulfill 21 standards prior to program submission. To provide guidance, The Institute established an 11-member Certification Board, as well as a 10-member examination development committee.

Third-party accreditation became a goal for certifying bodies in the fitness industry in 2005, when the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) recommended this “gold standard” to its member fitness clubs to help promote safety among clients working with personal trainers in health clubs.

“Third-party accreditation of programs is good for the industry as a whole,” Fast said, “and the right thing for quality organizations to do.”

Earning an accredited credential makes certificants more likely to meet hiring requirements for those clubs requiring NCCA accredited certification and may make them eligible for increased pay.

According to Fast, other certification examinations offered at CI will undergo the accreditation process. “Once we determine which ones, the examination development process will begin, and the accreditation application process will be completed,” she said. “It can take over a year to achieve accreditation for a credentialing certification examination.”

The Cooper Institute is one of only seven organizations in the fitness industry to receive third-party accreditation of its programs.

Winter 2007 • www.cooperinst.org

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The Cooper InstituteHealthy Living...Down to a Science

News from

Seven women from diverse backgrounds will help personalize the American Heart Association’s Choose To Move initiative this spring. Developed in partnership with The Cooper Institute (CI), this free 12-week program encourages women to integrate physical activity, proper diet and other healthy habits into their daily life.

“It’s a great program, but we needed testimonials to promote it,” said Anu Gandhi, marketing manager, Cause Initiatives and Integrated Marketing, American Heart Association (AHA) National Center. “We wanted to showcase what real women go through each day to get healthy.”

These women, who were selected after AHA reviewed numerous applications, represent diverse backgrounds:

• The youngest is single and in her late 20s. She is Hispanic, teaches school and, like other family members, struggles with her weight.

• Two women are in their 30s: One is a 31-year-old newlywed who recently moved to Dallas from Washington, D.C. She is trying to stay healthy as she adjusts to married life. The other woman is in her late 30s and is busily working on her Ph.D.

• Two women are in their 40s: One is Caucasian who had open-heart surgery a number of years ago. Both women have

three children and try to balance family life.• Two women are in their 50s: One is a

college professor who recognizes that being thin doesn’t necessarily mean being healthy, and the other simply has a strong aversion to physical activity. Both have family histories of heart disease and know they need to make some changes.

The biggest component of the campaign is a blog site. The participants will blog several times a week about their successes, frustrations and overall experiences. “Other women can go online and leave comments for the Choose To Move challengers, inspiring them or letting them know they have experienced the same struggles,” Gandhi said. “We encourage all women to join the challenge at www.choosetomove.org.”

Before the campaign officially began on March 5, the women received accelerometers from CI so they could log their activity. They also completed a three-day dietary record and returned both components to The Institute.

On January 26, the women met at CI for treadmill tests, blood draws and consultations with CI dieticians. Cameras accompanied the women throughout the day. At the end of the 12-week challenge, the women will return to CI for their health assessments. AHA will analyze the results, and then a media tour will take place in mid-June.

increase in Type 2 (formerly adult-onset) diabetes at much younger ages. Children who develop it by 14 years of age are shortening their lifespan by 17 years. This may indeed by the first generation in which the parents outlive their children. The fact is, many diseases are the result of an unhealthy lifestyle. The only answer has to be prevention.

Let’s look at life expectancy rates. In 2005, the United States was ranked 24th in overall life expectancy (77.5). Current trends suggest that by 2025, the average life expectancy will be 80.7. By 2050, scientists are projecting a backward trend, with 72 years being the average life expectancy. Sadly, childhood obesity is a factor.

Woodland Elementary School in Kansas City discovered huge improvements last year when they increased their P.E. schedule from one day to five days a week. From the fall 2005 to the spring 2006, the students reported huge fitness gains:

• 60% improvement in the modified sit-and-reach test

• 88% in push-ups• 127% in curl-ups• 207% in the cardio pacer test• 182% in flexibility• 433% in strengthAt the same time, discipline

problems involving violence at Woodland Elementary decreased 59%, with out-of-school suspension falling 67%.

“It’s not just the increased levels of fitness we are seeing,” said principal Craig Rupert. “Students are also more motivated throughout the day, their enthusiasm is way up, and discipline issues are way down.”

As it currently stands, we are raising children who are dying from diabetes at an early age, and children who in many cases are physically and academically insufficient. I’m convinced we can do something to help our kids—and I’m convinced that the Texas Youth Evaluation Project is going to pave the way.

A project of this magnitude requires tremendous support. Will you join with me and make a difference in the generations to come? Please send your tax-deductible gift to The Cooper Institute, 12330 Preston Road, Dallas, TX 75230. Designate that your contribution is going toward the Texas Youth Fitness Evaluation Project.

Together, let’s reverse these alarming trends and help our children grow to become healthier adults.

Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper M.D., M.P.H.Founder/Chairman, The Cooper Institute

Why We Need to Support Our Youth

2007 Lecture SeriesThe Cooper Institute is in its fourth year of presenting its “Preventive Medicine and Wellness Lecture Series”. The line-up once again presents a very diverse range of topics and speakers, along with exciting Dallas venues. Major corporate sponsors for the 2007 series include PepsiCo, Comerica-Wealth & Institutional Management, Classic Residence by Hyatt and Westwood Holdings Group.

Tuesday March 27 – 6:30 pm

Topic: Innovations in CardiovascularCareSpeaker: Tony Das, M.D.Interventional Cardiologist &Director of PeripheralInterventions, PresbyterianHospital-Dallas

At the home of Rich & TuckerEnthoven

Tuesday May 8 – 6:30 pm

Topic: Brain Health – How ToMaintain ItSpeaker: Daniel Amen, M.D.CEO and Medical Director, AmenClinics, Inc. (Brain Center)Distinguished Fellow, AmericanPsychiatric Association; Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, U-Cal Irvine School of Medicine

Hotel Palomar Dallas – Opus II Ballroom5300 East Mockingbird Lane

Wednesday September 19 – 6:30 pm

Topic: What Are We Doing to Our Kids, Texas? Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H.Founder & Chairman, The Cooper Institute

At the home of Marianne & RogerStaubach

Wednesday November 7 – 6:30 pm

Topic: Omega 3’s and Your HealthSpeaker: Bruce Holub, Ph.DProfessor Emeritus, Dept. of Health & Nutritional SciencesUniversity of Guelph, Ontario, Canada

At the home of Mary Ann & FrankMihalopoulos

If you are interested in subscribing to or donating in support of the series, please contact The Cooper Institute Development Office at 972-341-3200.

People often ask me what the health and fitness industry should be focusing on, and it’s simple: Getting children active. I am so concerned about childhood obesity and inactivity that I am trying to do something about it in Texas—and my belief is that the movement we launch in our state will spread across the country and even the world.

The Cooper Institute will be involved in helping me to implement my vision, called the Texas Youth Fitness Evaluation Project, in up to 8,000 public and private schools statewide. Timing is key.

On February 8, Sen. Jane Nelson introduced legislation (SB530) that is intended to put some substance behind a statewide effort to promote basic health and physical activity among our student population, at least 33% of whom are overweight. This legislation would require “moderate or vigorous” daily physical activity in the schools. Fitness levels would be measured in the fall of 2007 and again in the spring of 2008. In future years, we would be able to compare those fitness levels with academic achievement, absenteeism, obesity, discipline problems and school lunch initiatives.

This legislation and my Texas Youth Fitness Evaluation Project have received strong support from the Texas Education Agency, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, 24 state senators and Texas Governor Rick Perry.

“Why all the concern?” you might ask. Childhood obesity is getting worse, not better. From 1963 to 1970, obesity impacted approximately 4% of children ages 6 to 12. From 1999 to 2000, 15% of children in this age category were considered obese. Those dismal statistics are also similar in 12- to 19-year-olds.

Along with obesity, we’re seeing an

Development Advisory Board Holds First MeetingThe Cooper Institute’s Development Advisory Board held its first meeting on January 11 to discuss goals and future plans. Currently comprised of some 25 women from representative areas of Dallas and surrounding communities, the all-volunteer

group is focused on strengthening The Institute’s grass-roots presence to ensure that the life-changing, science-based studies and programs of the organization will continue to expand within the Dallas community and beyond.

The advisory board is co-chaired by Jeanne Phillips, who serves on The Cooper Institute’s Board of Trustees, and Caren Kline, an active

community volunteer and Institute advocate.“It is every development director’s fantasy to have an all-volunteer advisory board

like this, and it has been enhanced tenfold by the diverse and dedicated women who have agreed to help us this inaugural year,” said Barbara McGowan, director of development at The Cooper Institute. “Besides helping us to strategize and implement meaningful events and involvement throughout north Texas, each of these ladies is in essence an Institute ‘ambassador’ to the community by helping us to heighten the awareness of the importance and imperatives of our scientific and grass-roots educational initiatives.”

In addition to helping promote the 2007 “Preventive Medicine and Wellness Lecture Series,” the new advisory board will be involved in the planning and fulfillment of a signature fundraising event scheduled for first quarter 2008. According to McGowan, the event will enable The Institute not only to reinvest potential extra funds into needed research, but to provide guidance locally by showing people how they can truly take control of their own health and enhance their quality and quantity of life.

The Development Advisory Board is open to additional volunteers. For more information, contact Barbara McGowan at 972-341-3200 or via email at bmcgowan@cooperinst.org.

Real Women

“Every time we can touch real people, it is very beneficial,” said Ruth Ann Carpenter, M.S., R.D., L.D., director of dissemination and advocacy at The Cooper Institute. “This campaign helps us to promote our mission, and partnering with a great organization like the American Heart Association is always a plus.”

Launched in 1998, Choose To Move is part of AHA’s Go Red For Women movement, which raises women’s awareness that heart disease is the No. 1 killer. In a recent Choose To Move survey, 98% of women said they believe physical activity impacts their health, yet only one in 10 women includes adequate physical activity in her routine.

The American Heart Association chose to partner with The Cooper Institute primarily because of the organization’s expertise in physical activity. “They know how to work with people to get them active—it’s their forte,” Gandhi said. “With The Institute being so close to us, it’s an ideal partnership.”

Choose To Move shows women practical ways to increase their physical activity and reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke. Benefits include a personal handbook, bimonthly emails with practical physical activity tips, access to new recipes and nutrition tips, and email reminders for motivation.

Approximately 200,000 women are currently registered in the Choose To Move program. Those interested in participating can register by visiting www.choosetomove.org or calling (800) AHA-USA1.

❖ The Pension Protection Act of 2006 encouraged tax-free charitable giving opportunities to nonprofit organizations. Its provisions apply in 2007, as well. Donors who are 70 ½ years or older may continue to give all or a portion of their mandatory IRA withdrawals up to $100,000 in 2007, even if they took advantage of the benefit in 2006. Those with retirement assets in other plans, such as a 401(k), may be able to transfer assets to an IRA and then make their charitable gifts. For more information, contact the Development Office at (972) 341-3200 or (800) 635-7050.

❖ The Cooper Institute, in collaboration with The Northwood Women’s Foundation, Centex Corporation, Central Market, FDA, USDA and the North Texas Food Bank, will facilitate the first SuperSaturday at Bukhair Elementary in Richardson, Texas, on April 21. The school’s third- and fourth-graders, along with their parents, will learn how to make healthy behavior changes and participate in more physical activity as a family. A one-mile walk will take place at the event. Each family will receive a pedometer, and instructional sessions in both English and Spanish will be provided.

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The new Development Advisory Board is committed to increasing the awareness of The Cooper Institute’s scientific and educational initiatives.

In Brief…

A graduate of Southern Methodist University (SMU) and a Dallas resident for 30 years, Jeanne Phillips knows the value of community involvement. She lends her business expertise to many local boards, including the Board of Governors for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Junior League of Dallas Community Advisory Board, the Board of Directors for the Hockaday School, the Board of Trustees for SMU, the Dallas Citizens Council Issues Advisory Board—and, since 2005, The Cooper Institute Board of Trustees.

Her national and international business acumen, however, is equally impressive. For more than 20 years, Phillips had operated one of the premier high-dollar fundraising companies. From 2001 to 2003, she was appointed by Pres. George W. Bush to serve as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with rank of ambassador in Paris, France. She was a delegate to the World Economic Forum in New York in 2002 and in Switzerland in 2003.

When she finished her assignment in Paris, Phillips returned to Dallas and founded International Strategic Partners Inc. In addition, she agreed to serve as Texas vice chairman for the Bush-Cheney ’04 Campaign and for Victory 2004 with the Republican National Committee. She was appointed by Pres. Bush to serve as chairman of both the 54th and 55th Presidential Inaugural Committee.

The Cooper Institute12330 Preston RoadDallas, Texas 75230www.cooperinst.org

Main Number: ............. 972.341.3200 800.635.7050Development Office .... 972.716.7046 or 972.716.7087Education Products ..... 972.341.3273FITNESSGRAM .............972.341.3261Oak Cliff Center ...........214.330.9165Speakers Bureau .......... 972.341.7087Volunteers .................... 972.341.3200

Today, Phillips serves as senior vice president for Corporate Affairs and International Relations for Hunt Consolidated Inc. and Hunt Oil Company in Dallas. She continues to be involved on an international level, with organizations including the American Hospital of Paris Foundation; the Council of Foreign Relations, New York City; and the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Studies Advisory Board, Washington, D.C.

Here, Phillips shares how she got involved with The Cooper Institute and elaborates on her vision for broadening the organization’s support base.

How and when did you become familiar with The Cooper Institute?

A: I first learned about the work of The Cooper Institute when I became a patient at the Cooper Clinic about 12 years ago. I knew Dr. Cooper through mutual friends and had admired his work. I was a member of The Cooper Fitness Center early on—but The Institute was the part of the organization I really had not known too much about. Now I know more than I ever thought I would—and the research from The Institute provides some of the most important and peer-reviewed findings on healthy lifestyles and disease prevention we have at our disposal.

As a board member, what do you believe you can contribute to The Cooper Institute?

A: I hope that I can be helpful in broadening the base of supporters for The Institute. The work has been recognized in many professional circles; and now, I think the timing is right for The Institute’s work to be moved into a much more public realm where the average person can benefit from the research programs.

The Institute offers cutting-edge research on wellness, physical activity and disease prevention that is so desperately needed in our society today. I think the Texas Youth Fitness Evaluation Project (see page 2) will be a signature project involving The Institute, and I look forward to seeing it develop over the next two years.

How did the idea for the Development Advisory Board (DAB) come about, and describe your role as co-chair (see page 3).

A: The Development Advisory Board is an idea that I have seen work well across our community. The Institute has a strong supporter base, but we have no grass-roots component to the development activities. I think the DAB will provide that structure for more friends to join our cause.

The mission of the DAB is simple: Spread the word about The Institute, and provide opportunities for average people who are interested in keeping their families and themselves up-to-date on improving their healthy lifestyles. We want to give them an opportunity to be exposed to programs that cause them to think differently and to become more involved with managing their own health and fitness goals.

How can The Cooper Institute effectively reach a new, younger audience?

A: I think the time is right for Dr. Cooper’s message to transcend the public’s awareness. We have reached the proverbial “tipping point,” as most people now do understand the connection between physical activity and wellness. The Institute can reach the new generation by providing consistent information, outstanding educational programs and activities in the community that are relevant to young people and their families.

Do you have time for hobbies?

A: My favorite hobbies include sailing and entertaining our friends at home. I am an avid reader, and we continue to enjoy our visits to Paris on a regular basis. The best activity I can do to amuse myself is to take a long walk with my husband, David; my daughter, Margaret; or a good friend.

What has been the highlight of your professional career?

A: I personally believe that life builds upon itself. If you do what is assigned to you at the moment and do it well, the rest takes care of itself. I believe that every single opportunity that has come my way has been important to my own personal and professional development.

In the Spotlight:Jeanne Phillips