PHS-FIT Pamphlet and Fit for Duty…Fit for Life Columns The holiday season has come and gone, and many of us have made New Year’s resolutions we now hope to keep for longer than 2 weeks. Of course, for most of us, one of the hardest will be shedding those extra pounds we gained while eating all those delicious holiday treats; not too mention all those great movies we watched all comfy on our couch – remote in hand. In support of all our efforts to stay healthy and fit, the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (Corps) now has two great resources. In December 2008, a new panel report was approved by the Assistant Secretary for Health. The report represents the work of the PHS Fitness-Improvement Training (PHS-FIT) Program Panel, which brought together Corps officers of various categories and grades assigned to various Operating Divisions and Staff Divisions within the Department of Health and Human Services to explore the establishment of a physical fitness program. The goal was to develop recommendations for a program which might assist officers in meeting fitness and weight goals. It was further hoped that, in addition to helping meet readiness standards, the information would assist Corps officers to more effectively serve as “positive examples and ambassadors of health to the Nation.” The PHS-FIT panel report will be made available on the Commissioned Corps Management Information System Web site (http://dcp.psc.gov). Please watch for it. The second resource comes to us from the Dietitian category. In collaboration with the Therapist category, the Dietitian category publishes the “Fit for Duty…Fit for Life” columns in the Commissioned Corps electronic Bulletin (e-Bulletin). Over the next year, the “Fit for Duty…Fit for Life“ columns will address issues related to weight management and physical fitness in order to provide assistance to Corps officers in support of the PHS-FIT program. Now that we have these two great resources, we have two less excuses to keep us from turning those New Year’s resolutions into results. Have a great and fit new year!

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