US Federal Agencies Partner to Motivate Americans to Be Healthier

11 Jan 2017 --- The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have announced that USDA's free online tool, SuperTracker, has incorporated the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition's (PCFSN) Presidential Champions program as an additional incentive to motivate Americans to be more physically active.

The PCFSN engages and empowers all Americans to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and healthy eating. The President's Council is a committee of volunteer citizens appointed by the President who serve in an advisory capacity through the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Through cross-sector partnerships, they promote healthy lifestyles through evidence-based programs and initiatives for Americans of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

Gamification, the application of points and achievements to non-game contexts, has been shown to inspire both youth and adults to engage in physical activity and to monitor progress toward their own health goals.

Now, anyone who has a SuperTracker account can participate in the Presidential Champions program by simply logging into their SuperTracker account and recording their daily physical activity.

Since 2003, the Presidential Champions program has motivated Americans ages six and older to become physically active and live a healthier lifestyle. Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, SuperTracker empowers people to improve eating habits, manage weight, and reduce risk of chronic disease.

Users can determine what and how much to eat; track their food intake, physical activity, and weight; and personalize their SuperTracker experience by setting individual goals, journaling, and receiving virtual coaching.

With the addition of the Presidential Champions program, SuperTracker's millions of users can now also be recognized with awards. Through SuperTracker, Presidential Champions participants can now sync their Fitbit accounts and easily track their activity without manually entering data to accumulate points.

“The partnership between these two agencies is truly a win for all involved. We know that the Presidential Champions program has dedicated participants who will benefit from the incredible suite of tools available in the SuperTracker application,” said Angie Tagtow, Executive Director for the USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, which created and manages SuperTracker.

“We now have yet another way for existing SuperTracker users to stay motivated to make positive choices every day on their path to a healthier lifestyle.”

“We are excited for our long-time Presidential Champions participants to continue earning awards for achieving their healthy goals, while gaining access to the personalized physical activity and nutrition features of SuperTracker,” said Dr. Don Wright, Acting Executive Director of PCFSN.

“This partnership encompasses the core theme of the Council's 60th anniversary #0to60 Campaign This is an external link or third-party site outside of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website. – inspiring all Americans to accelerate their journey to living healthy.”