1. Counter Weights
Today 93 million Americans struggle with obesity, which
the Center for Disease Control qualifies as a “common, serious, and
costly” trend. Limited access to treatment, poor prevention awareness,
and weight bias are only some of the hurdles that face affected
individuals. Evidence-based reformers like the Obesity Action Coalition
hope to reverse these trends, notably, through design, at its third
annual Your Weight Matters National Convention in Orlando (Sept. 25–28).
Learn more at obesityaction.org.
2. Outdoorsy
This isn’t the first time we’ve rapidly urbanized. Industrialization and
immigration 150 years ago grew cities, sanitation efforts, and mass
transit systems. It was also the birth of the American parks and rec
movement. In the spirit of that legacy, the National Recreation and Park
Association’s 2014 Congress (Oct. 14–16) focuses on wellness and social
equity.
Learn more at nrpa.org.
3. Great Lakes Green
AIA Michigan’s Green Health Summit centers on how design can encourage
better individual health and elevate the quality of public health.
Speakers include UCLA’s Dr. Richard Jackson; Municipal Art Society of
New York’s Margaret Newman, FAIA; and AIA Design and Health’s Bill
Roschen, FAIA. “Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice” will be held
in Lansing on Sept. 8.
4. A Week of Outreach
Obesity Week (Nov. 2–7, Boston) is a chance for the American Society for
Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and the Obesity Society to meet. It’s
also a chance to raise awareness about a disease that affects more than
20 percent of the U.S. population. Partner symposia, video sessions, and
over 100 learning-track events will bring together evidence-based
design, cutting-edge research, and public advocacy.
Learn more at obesityweek.com.
5. Improvement and Equity
Science contributes to wellness, but public wellness isn’t just science.
It’s about hard-fought social, economic, and design battles undertaken
by physicians, legislators, city planners, and architects. To that end,
the American Public Health Association’s platform is simple: Improve
public health and achieve equity in health status. Its annual meeting
and expo (New Orleans, Nov. 15–19) offers more than 5,000 papers, full-
and half-day workshops, and a film festival to marry quantitative data
and qualitative advocacy.
Learn more at apha.org.