Center for Health Transformation Georgia Project

Healthy Holidays

  
   

As the holiday season is in full swing there are some great ideas to making this a healthy one.  The weight gain that many experience over the December holidays can be averted by making a few changes to old habits and traditions.  Try a few of theses suggestions: [1] include healthy alternatives in your holiday meals; [2] indulge a day or so over the holidays but don't use the 'season' as an excuse to make it a continuous behavior; [3] add a few healthy traditions such as a family walk after the holiday dinner; [4] try to cut some of the sugar and fat from your recipes where possible; [5] add a few healthier desserts to the table; [6] serve desserts in the 'mini-indulgent' style of many of the restaurants - a few bites of something sweet after dinner is sometimes enough.

Success of the Vitality Project in Albert Lea, MN

The Vitality Project in Albert Lea, MN came to it's official end on Tuesday evening.  A project spearheaded by Dan Buetter, founder of Blue Zones and supported by AARP and United Health Foundation, the project focused on changing the health of a community through a 6 week intensive application of those principles found to increase longevity.

Some of the successes of the project included the following: 2,300 people officially participated; a walking/biking trail was completed around Fountain Lake; thousands of feet of sidewalk were added; hundreds of kids walked to school in walking school buses and more than 600 citizens joined walking groups; nearly a thousand Albert Leans took part in purpose workshops; and two-thirds of locally owned restaurants added longevity-promoting foods to their menus.

For additional information on the community project in Albert Lea, MN visit:

Good Morning America

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/VitalityProject/vitality-project-make-town-healthier/story?id=8818625

 

Front page story in the Pioneer Press

www.pioneerpress.com

 

AP story –

www.associatedpress.com

The Vitality Project provides an excellent model for other communities as they begin the journey to transform the health of their citizens.

As a follow up to the Microsoft HealthVault project "Be Well Columbus, Georgia" a video has been posted on the Microsoft HealthVault website highlighting the project.  Columbus, Georgia joins other health stories on the Microsoft website that embody Microsoft's vision to improve health around the world through software innovation.  Congratulations to the Columbus Research Foundation for leading this effort and getting Georgia 'on the map!'

The Recession and Weight Gain

There is discussion recently on the effect of the recession on our health - Newsweek recently reported on new data released exclusively to them from Gallup-Healthways showing that in the past year, the number of Americans considered obese has jumped by 1.7 percent—or almost 5.5 million people.  There is speculation that the increased stress from the recession and the added burden of the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables are leading to weight gain.

Activity and exercise are definitely healthy ways to cope with stress.  Share your ideas on healthy ways to manage stress in a down economy.  Share your experience with summer gardens and other solutions to getting fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Make the Right Choice

On a cnn quick poll 74% of 6290 respondents identified motivation or lack of willpower as their biggest obstacle to losing weight or getting fit.  The next most frequently identified obstacle at 8% was finding a diet/fitness plan.  Only 5% of the respondents selected access to healthy food as their biggest obstacle.  It seems that for the majority of us the healthy choice is available, we just need to make it.  

One of the best pieces of advice I've heard recently related to this was from Dr. Oz, co-author of You: The Owners Manual and other health, diet and fitness books.  His advice is to make the decision at the grocery store, not your cupboard.  In other words,don't bring the unhealthy foods into your home in the first place.  Make it easy to make the right choice for you and your family.  This advice also applies to the choices in vending machines in schools and places of employment.  Lead an effort to get healthy choices where they belong!

Be Well Columbus, Georgia Awards Ceremony

The Be Well Columbus, Georgia Awards Ceremony was held on May 18th at Arnold Magnet Academy, school of the winning homeroom.  The Be Well Columbus, Georgia Project is a pilot project instituted through the Muscogee County School District 7^th graders and was made possible by a grant the Columbus Research Foundation received from the Microsoft HealthVault Be Well Fund.  During a three month period from January 17 until April 24, 2009, participating students were encouraged to increase their physical activity as they took a virtual walk across the United States and to check their daily meal, snack and drink intake.  This data was logged on the Be Well Columbus, Georgia/Walk to Microsoft website, which was developed specifically for this project. 

 

After words from Mayor Jim Wetherington, Bill Reid of Microsoft Corporation, Laura Linn of the Center for Health Transformation, Mike Gaymon of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Valerie Fuller of the MCSD, and Susan Wood of the Muscogee County Council of PTA's, awards were presented to the students by Royce Ann Adkins and Pam Tinkler of the Columbus Research Foundation.

 

First place went to Mrs. Ronda Allen's homeroom at Arnold Magnet Academy.  The 7th grade students in this homeroom were the first to log enough miles walked to reach Bellevue, Washington, home of the Microsoft Corporation.  The 2nd place winner was the homeroom of Mrs. Sara Davis at Marshall Middle School; 3rd place went to the home room of Mrs. Melissa Niemi at Arnold. 

 

The overall goal of the project was to teach and instill healthy lifestyle choices in the area’s adolescents, thereby preventing diabetes and other metabolic disorders associated with being overweight.  Over 1000 students participated in the project.  It was encouraging to see adolescents engaged in their health.  This project serves as a great model for other communities interested in improving the health of their children.

Let's Commit to Changing the Trends in Childhood Obesity

Overweight and obesity is increasing in children.  CDC reports that data from NHANES surveys (1976–1980 and 2003–2006) show that the prevalence of obesity has increased  for children aged 2–5 years from 5.0% to 12.4%; for those aged 6–11 years from 6.5% to 17.0%; and for those aged 12–19 years from 5.0% to 17.6%.  According to the CDC, the increase in childhood obesity is due to the interaction of a number of factors, including genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors.  The result is a child who consumes more calories than they use and that causes overweight and obesity.

The major behavioral factors that lead to obesity include:

·         food intake

o   sugar-sweetened drinks

o   large portion sizes

o   frequent snacking on energy dense foods

·         physical activity

o   Daily participation in school physical education among adolescents dropped 14 percentage points over the last 13 years — from 42% in 1991 to 28% in 2003.

o   Less than one-third (28%) of high school students meet currently recommended levels of physical activity.

·         sedentary behavior

o   increased time spent watching TV, playing video games, and other computer activities.

Environmental factors that can influence a child’s behavior related to food intake and physical activity include home, child care, school, and community environments.

·         Home environment: parents are role models for their children.  A home environment that models healthy eating and physical activity has a positive impact on the health of the children.

·         Child care: almost 80% of children aged 5 years and younger with working mothers are in child care for 40 hours a week on average.  The approach to food and physical activity during this developmental time is critical to developing healthy habits.

·         Schools: physical education and healthy meals are basic responsibilities of the schools.  Implementing programs that create a culture of health in the schools is a goal that should be set.

·         Communities: access to physical activity opportunities and access to affordable and healthy foods in the community are keys to a healthy community.

As we develop ‘21^st Century Healthy Communities’ these factors are important to consider as a basis for solutions to the problems of overweight and obesity in our nation.  As we approach the summer months, make a resolution to implement one solution to improve food choices and one solution to increase activity in your family.  This can be as simple as changing from ‘sweet’ to ‘unsweet’ tea and taking a family walk after dinner.  Start your family on a healthier path today.

Increasing your Activity

One of my colleag ues and I are trying out a new technology that is aimed at increasing non-exercise activity.  According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 60% of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese.  Studies conducted over the last 20 years to determine both the causes of obesity and the reasons for the continued increase in the U.S. obesity rates determined that our society has become more sedentary, that non-exercise movement has decreased to a point where many Americans are taking in more calories than they are able to burn. The belief is that the key to reversing this obesity trend is to add physical movement back into a person's day. This is not "organized exercise" such as running or working out but rather it is taking the stairs, walking and generally being more active.

The Gruve device is a small omnidirectional accelerometer that measures activity intensity and duration.  It provides a personalized, quantifiable measure of activities and the calories burned throughout the day.  Synchronizing the device with the Gruve web site gives you the ability to view your own daily calorie burn and track your weight loss progress.  The device also tracks your progress towards your daily goal and lets you know with a colored light system how you are progressing.  You can get more information on this interesting solution for increasing activity at www.muveit.com/ .  We will keep you posted on our evaluation.

Microsoft Be Well Fund Project Update

 

 

 

The Columbus Research Foundation ‘Be Well Columbus Georgia Project’, made possible by a grant from the Microsoft Corporation Be Well Fund, kicked off January 17, 2009 and will come to a close April 24, 2009.  It was offered on a voluntary basis to all twelve middle schools of which ten chose to participate.  The district has 3500 seventh graders enrolled and about 900 signed up along with 100 teachers.

The project is a competition among homerooms and hinges on an interactive website, www.walktomicrosoft.com.  Students log daily physical activity in the form of steps or miles by using a pedometer and log their daily food intake.  They are taking a virtual walk across the country with their logged miles and end at the Microsoft Corporation in Bellevue, Washington. Each participating student and the teacher of the first homeroom to collectively accrue 2977 miles and reach Microsoft will win a Wii, Wii Fit and a game of their choice.  Other incentive prizes, including new tennis shoes, are being awarded as they reach designated mile markers.

Students, parents and teachers say that they have become much more aware of junk food and idle lifestyles since they began the Be Well Project.  Students are motivated by their pedometers to log more steps and have learned to read food labels.  Many are reporting actual weight loss.  Others report they have insisted that their families join them in daily walks or gym memberships.

The competition has heated up as the end date approaches.  One homeroom moved from being ranked number eight to number three in less than two weeks.  Keep checking this blog for updates – we will recognize the winning class and their teacher!

How Are You Getting in Shape This Year? Any 'Miis' out There?

I am a real fan of the Wii Fit product as a way to increase activity and get into shape.  I started with the Wii Fit software last June and have advanced to Jillan Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009.  Both programs allow you to set fitness goals and track your progress.  The workouts can be modified to meet your needs - from weight loss to strength training.  For me the 'defining moment'  was having to face the metrics - the Wii Balance Board doesn't lie.  Seeing the weight and BMI on the graph was a real wake up call.  The round little Mii wasn't so easy to face, either.  After 7 months my 'Mii' is looking better and so am I.  Let us know how you are meeting your fitness goals this year!