President's Council on Fitness Announces Next Phase of I Can Do It, You Can Do It!

The President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN) has announced a new phase of I Can Do It, You Can Do It! (ICDI).

The President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition announced the launch of a new phase of I Can Do It, You Can Do It! (ICDI) at a Presidential Active Lifestyle Awards (PALA+) ceremony for students with disabilities in Miami, Florida on May 21, 2013.

ICDI is dedicated to providing Americans with opportunities to lead healthier lives and encouraging them to exercise regularly and adopt better eating habits. The organisation previously focused on getting the younger generation to participate in the program, which was implemented in nine sites across the United States. Today, ICDI includes both children and adults with disabilities. The President's Council aims to expand the program and implement it in 100 sites at the minimum within the next five years. More information about the program is available at Fitness.gov.

The ICDI program was launched by the Office on Disability of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2004, with the support of National Institutes of Health-Division of Nutrition Research Coordination (DNRC). When the program faced being discontinued in 2011, the President's Council on Fitness formed a subcommittee to evaluate it and recommend a course of action. Once the subcommittee determined that ICDI was effective and should be expanded, Dr. Jayne Greenberg, ICTI site coordinator and PCFSN council member, and Lauren Darensbourg, PCFSN staff member, helmed the efforts to revitalise the project.

Approximately 56 million individuals in the United States live with a disability, and the obesity rate for children and adults with disabilities is significantly higher than for those without disabilities (38 percent higher for children and 57 percent for adults).

ICDI provides resources to keep participants motivated to lead healthy lives. The President's Council encourages organisations to join the program by signing up to become ICDI Advocates and help the ICDI team improve the health and overall fitness level of individuals living with a disability. The program provides technical support and assistance to all participants.

ICDI Advocates are provided with access to a toolkit that helps them achieve success in implementing the program and includes online materials to motivate people to become more physically active. ICDI Advocates can also earn awards featuring the President's signature.

Watch the video to hear what First Lady Michelle Obama has to say about the project.