Exercising our bodies is one of the fundamentals of good health. Increasing physical activity - our own, and in the community - is more important now than ever. Obesity has caught up with tobacco as the largest cause of death in the U.S., and Carroll County is # 4 in obesity out of the 24 counties in the State of Maryland. Our rates of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, which are related to inactivity and overweight, reflect our rates of obesity and overweight. 

This Spring, the Prevention & Wellness Partners - a Work Group of The Partnership for a Healthier Carroll County, Inc. - mailed invitations to about 30 local physical activity and fitness organizations and businesses, inviting them  to collaborate with us in efforts to increase the number of people in Carroll County who are physically active.   

Those organization and businesses which accepted our invitation became members of a new  group, called the Health Partners Registry. These members share data on the number of youth and adults who use their facilities. They will provide regular enrollment updates, so that increases or decreases in the numbers of people using these physical activity resources can be tracked.  Benefits to members of the Registry are increased public exposure, a new network of information sharing contacts, and support for enrollment efforts. 

The ultimate aim of the project - and a specific objective of the Prevention & Wellness Partners Work Group - is to increase the number of people in Carroll County who are physically active.