Health Notes Health Notes (March 10, 2004)

FITNESS WEEKEND . . . A lineup of experts and speakers are scheduled to discuss the benefits of exercise at the Fifty-Plus 21st Annual Fitness Weekend this Friday through Sunday at Stanford University locations. This year's theme is "On the Right Track! Staying Fit and Healthy in an Obese America." On Friday, Art Linkletter will speak on the topic of aging. Saturday talks will include nutrition, the effect of technology on obesity and impulse control. Yoga, pilates and tai-chi breakout sessions will also be offered. The three-day event features a public forum, health conference, and athletic events, including a competitive 8K run for seniors, a 5K racewalk, a four-mile fun walk, and a 20-mile bike ride. A health fair follows Sunday's races. The Weekly is a sponsor of the conference. For online registration and a complete schedule of events visit www.50plus.org or call (650) 843-1750.

FREE SWIM PASSES . . . It's looking like spring, and the Rinconada Masters Program at Rinconada pool in Palo Alto has a deal for swimmers. This month, they're offering five free swims to those able to stroke 100 yards of freestyle. Pick up a special card at Metro Sport, Palo Alto Sports or Rinconada Pool or contact head coach Carol Macpherson at c-mac@mindspring.com or (650) 439.2030. Workouts are Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5:45 a.m. and 7 a.m., Tuesday and Thursday at noon and 7 p.m., Saturday at 9:30 a.m. and Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

NO LECTURES, PLEASE . . . Teenagers aren't likely to quit smoking because of scare tactics, but recruit them to be anti-smoking activists and chances increase that they'll stop using, according to new research out of the Stanford University School of Medicine.

A study asked students at five Bay Area alternative high schools to participate in an advocacy program in which they developed projects to enforce campus smoking bans; eliminate magazines with cigarette ads from medical and dental offices; and convince city council members to decline campaign contributions from tobacco companies. Students from another five high schools took highly regarded drug-abuse prevention classes that focused on health motivation, social skills and decision-making regarding drug and alcohol use.

The success of the advocacy approach makes it a strategy worth evaluating for other issues, such as helping teens make better food and exercise choices, said Marilyn Winkleby, associate professor of medicine at the Stanford Prevention Research Center and senior author of the paper published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

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