hats off to West Virginia!

[Z]

This is pretty cool! Did you hear about this? Check it out....

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West Virginia Governor Proclaims June as Mountain Bike Month

Gov. Joe Manchin this week proclaimed June as Mountain Bike Month in West Virginia at the state Capitol. Noting that West Virginia was the top-ranked state in the 2004 Mountain Biking Report Card by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), Gov. Manchin remarked how mountain biking remains a mainstay of the state's tourism activities.

"Mountain biking continues to be a key component of our outdoor recreation tourism," the Governor said. "Many individuals have worked hard to help West Virginia earn its reputation as a world-class mountain bike destination. Division of Tourism research shows that mountain biking is one of the top outdoor recreation activities for visitors to this state."

Gov. Manchin commended the many mountain bike enthusiasts in the private and public sector who work hard at promoting and maintaining the state's varied mountain bike destinations and events. "West Virginians take pride in the many endeavors they undertake and certainly it is no different with those who keep our state's reputation at a premium for mountain biking," said Gov. Manchin.

June is when the state's mountain bike activities swing into full gear with events like the 24 Hours of Big Bear (formerly Canaan and Snowshoe) on June 18-19 and the West Virginia Mountain Bike Association race series which continues until September. In August, the National Off-Road Bicycle Association national race series makes one of its eight nationwide stops at Snowshoe Mountain, which is also host to several other prestigious mountain bike competitions and camps. Non-profit organizations, IMBA-affiliated mountain biking groups, and dedicated individual advocates continue to enhance and expand the state's trails, many of which are known around the world for their backcountry settings and endless singletrack.

"We are proud of the state's reputation as a bicycling destination," said Tourism Commissioner Betty Carver. "When you combine mountain biking with camping, whitewater rafting, climbing and our other four-season outdoor sports, you can see that West Virginia has a complete package for outdoor enthusiasts."

More West Virginia Bicycling info: http://www.wvtourism.com/spec.aspx?pgID=47

2004 IMBA Report Card: http://www.imba.com/news/news_releases/12_04/12_13_report_card_04.html

West Virginia IMBA Clubs and Represenatives: http://www.imba.com/contacts/near_you/west_virginia.html

Mountain Bike Month Proclamation:

Whereas, West Virginia has established itself as a premier mountain bike destination providing hundreds of miles of picturesque trails and rail trails for mountain bike enthusiasts; and,

Whereas, in 2004, the International Mountain Biking Association rated West Virginia as the top destination for mountain biking in the nation, which was the first time a state east of the Mississippi has earned this distinction; and,

Whereas, mountain biking is an integral part of the state's tourism industry and provides quality-of-life recreation for citizens and tourists alike; and,

Whereas, West Virginia is the birthplace of 24 hour racing, which is one of the most popular forms of mountain bike racing today, and Snowshoe Mountain is an annual stop for the National Off-Road Bicycle Association National mountain bike series; and,

Whereas, our state is home to some of mountain biking's most notable racers, promoters and advocates who tirelessly publicize the state's great destinations while making the sport better for everyone;

Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Joe Manchin III, Governor of the state of West Virginia, do hereby proclaim June 2005 as: Mountain Bike Month in the Mountain State and encourage all citizens to experience the enjoyment of mountain biking and recognize all our state has to offer.

[radair]

West Virginia rocks.

I wish NH had the foresight that WV does in terms of mountain biking.

[Mr_Cheeze]

Now if they could just get West Virginians to get off of their fat arses and ride.

June 3, 2005


CDC probes 'epidemic' of obesity in W. Virginia


The New York Times


For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sent a team of specialists into a state to study obesity in the same way it studies an outbreak of an infectious disease.

Kerri Kennedy, the program manager at the West Virginia Physical Activity and Nutrition Program, said the state had requested the CDC investigation.

"We were looking at our data," Kennedy said, and saw that "we are facing a severe health crisis."

The state ranked third in the nation for obesity -- 27.6 percent of its adults were obese, compared with 20.4 percent in the rest of the country. And, Kennedy said, "our rate of obesity appears to be increasing faster than the rest of the nation."

In 2004, Indiana was in fifth place for obese adults and in second for childhood obesity, according to the CDC and the Indiana State Department of Health.

Accompanying West Virginia's obesity was a high prevalence of diabetes and high blood pressure, which are associated with extra weight. West Virginia ranked fourth in the nation for diabetes, with 10.2 percent of the population affected, compared with 6.4 percent nationwide. And it was No. 1 in its prevalence of high blood pressure, with 33.1 percent having the condition, compared with 25.8 percent of people in the rest of the country.

So the CDC's disease detectives began a three-week investigation on April 25. It focused, Kennedy said, on two places that represented towns and cities in the state -- Gilmer County, with 7,160 residents, and Clarksburg, a city with 16,743 residents.

The investigative teams spent 11/2 weeks in each place, going to schools to look at physical education programs and the foods served. They asked, for example, whether students "were offered at least one or two appealing fruits and vegetables every day," Kennedy said. And "would you replace regular sour cream with low-fat sour cream?"

They went to workplaces, asking whether policies encouraged physical activity. For example, Kennedy said, "if you choose to walk, could you have an extra 15 or 20 minutes added to your lunch break?" And were there items like 100 percent fruit juices and bottled water in vending machines?

At randomly selected grocery stores and restaurants, investigators asked whether fruits and vegetables and skim or 1 percent milk were offered. And they asked whether it was safe to walk along the roads, whether sidewalks existed and whether they were in good repair.

"The CDC came up with the questions for us," Kennedy said. But, she noted, many of the questions, like the ones about sidewalks, were designed for urban areas. She said she was not sure how well they would work in rural West Virginia.

Some preliminary results from the study might be available in August, Kennedy said.

One statistician said, however, he did not think the study would work at all. Dr. Daniel McGee, a professor of statistics at Florida State University who has analyzed obesity data, burst out laughing when he heard about it.

"They'll find out what we all know -- that the country is no longer set up for physical exercise," McGee said. And that schoolchildren "don't get a nutritious diet." And that "there is a lot of high-fat food on the shelves of every supermarket."

But, he said, "that doesn't tell you much."

"I'm sure skinny people go to those same restaurants," McGee said. "Skinny kids go to those same schools."



This begs an obvious question. How exactly does an "outbreak" of obesity come to pass? It's not like it's ebola. I guess this is how they start defending this blight by suggesting it's just not the fault of the fatties. They have a disease!

Thread Hyjack Alert

Cheeze,
Maybee you could start a thread on "off the bike" for your question. Your comments have nothing to do with this threads subject or about biking at all.

[Slider]

My in-laws live in WVA. We've talked about retiring there. It is one of those places where you can get a 10 room Victorian, or whatever, on lots of land, for less than $200K. In some cases LOTS of land. And the biking rocks.

Plus, all those obese racers mean I can place a lot higher if I go Expert! I'm guessing the sushi sucks, though.

Slider

[Mr_Cheeze]

Thread Hyjack Alert

Cheeze,
Maybee you could start a thread on "off the bike" for your question. Your comments have nothing to do with this threads subject or about biking at all.




THREAD POLICE ALERT

I'm sorry if some people don't understand irony.

[minkhiller]

West Virginia rocks.

I wish NH had the foresight that WV does in terms of mountain biking.
I think good advocacy work was the key in the "foresight", I would think that the same thing could ring true anywhere, especially when you get big resorts involved.

[Woelfe]

Holy cow! I grew up in WV mostly. Left when I graduated from high school. Almost makes me want to move back home. lol :)

[minkhiller]

Holy cow! I grew up in WV mostly. Left when I graduated from high school. Almost makes me want to move back home. lol :)
Nothing wrong with saying I was country when country wasn't cool. Welcome aboard Woelfe.