The 2013 Blueprint for Nutrition and Physical Activity Expert Panel has released the second edition of Blueprint for Nutrition and Physical Activity: Cornerstones of a Healthy Lifestyle. The Blueprint is available for download at www.asphn.org. Using funding from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, the document was collaboratively developed by the expert panel, the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN), and the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health, Leadership Education and Training (LET) Program in Maternal and Child Nutrition. 

The revised Blueprint for Nutrition and Physical Activity: Cornerstones of a Healthy Lifestyle offers guidance to build healthier communities and describes several cornerstones that impact community well-being. The new edition includes a sixth cornerstone — Policy and Advocacy. The strategies and actions throughout the document have been updated and expanded with additional resource recommendations in order to make a difference in these vital areas.

"The Blueprint is aimed at people who wish to improve the health of their community at the state, city, town, worksite, classroom or other levels," says Jamie Stang Ph.D., MPH, RD, director of the Leadership Education and Training (LET) Program in Maternal and Child Health Nutrition at the University of Minnesota. "It synthesizes guidance and recommendations from many recognized resources on how to improve nutrition, physical activity and health, and it complements the work of several federal health agencies," adds Stang.

For more information about the Blueprint, please contact Sandy Perkins, ASPHN consultant.

Founded in 1952, ASPHN is a non-profit membership organization that provides state and national leadership on food and nutrition issues, programs and services aimed at improving the health of our population. ASPHN’s membership is comprised of over 250 public health nutritionists located throughout all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. As we celebrate over 60 years of service, our vision is to create new environmental norms where healthy eating and active living are the easy and natural choices for all Americans. ASPHN can be found on the Web at www.asphn.org and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/asphn.