The lack of physical activity in today's society is an emerging problem. Ciclovías are one approach for promoting physical activity in communities, thus preventing chronic disease.

In the 21st century, focus has shifted towards the increasing public burden of chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Sedentary lifestyles are one of the main risk factors for chronic disease.

The Ciclovía-recreativa is more than just a bicycle path: it is the temporary closure of streets to motorized traffic, which allows the public to engage in physical activity through running, walking, cycling, and more. Policy-makers, as well as city governments, may find in Ciclovías a rather simple program to effectively promote physical activity in their communities.

The WHO Set of Recommendations consists of general principles that require additional guidance in order to be applied as concrete policies in national contexts. Recommendation 8 specifically states that "Member States should cooperate" in developing policies to "reduce the impact of cross-border marketing." Following this recommendation, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) formed an Expert Consultation Group to develop more concrete recommendations for the Americas. 

The Forum and Technical Meeting on Population-based Prevention Strategies for Childhood Obesity was held in order to identify priorities for population-based strategies to prevent childhood obesity and to define roles and responsibilities for various stakeholders.

Fruit and vegetables are an important component of a healthy diet and, if consumed daily in sufficient amounts, could help prevent major diseases such as CVDs and certain cancers. According to The World Health Report 2002, low fruit and vegetable intake is estimated to cause about 31%...

Over the decades, educating people about health has been an important strategy for preventing illness and injury. This approach has drawn heavily from the fields of public health, social science, communications, and education. Early experiments with education relied heavily on the delivery of information and facts.

The Selection Committee for the Request for Proposals for "Promising Agriculture & Food policies and innovations to better health and nutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean" organized by The Pan American Health Organization, gathered in person in Washington DC, on October 13th to choose the winners.