Extension
It Starts With Us
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Family and Consumer Sciences
Jordan Crain, Tyrone Gentry
Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities (general)
Food Preservation
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
Youth Fruit & Vegetable Access
The obesity epidemic threatens the quality and years of life of Kentuckians. Obese individuals are at increased risk for many chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancers. The obesity rate in Kentucky increased 90 percent over the last 15 years. Thirty percent of individuals in the Commonwealth report no leisure-time physical activity. Increased consumption of unhealthy food, stress, and built environments that promote physical inactivity are largely responsible for the obesity epidemic. As a result, Kentuckians are dying from heart disease and cancer at higher rates than all Americans and they have a lower life expectancy, 75.5 years, compared to 78 years for Americans. Minorities and individuals residing in Appalachia bear a heavier brunt of the obesity and chronic disease burden. The goal of the Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices Initiative is to reverse these trends by working with various organizations, agencies, and groups to promote the health and wellness in all Kentuckians.
•Green County will see a decrease in the number of obese and overweight children, youth, adults and elderly.
•Green County will increase in the practice and promotion of physical activity and healthy eating daily.
•Green County will see an improvement in the built environment to promote physical activity and healthy eating.
•Green County will see an improvement in the mental health and well-being of Kentuckians.
•Green County will manage and prevent the risk, debilitation, and premature death related to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke and hypertension.
•Green County will increase the estimated health savings in dollars for chronic disease.
•Green County will increase policies that address obesity, physical inactivity and promotion of poor nutrition.
•Green County Citizens will practice healthy food choices and strengthen individuals’ ability to build healthy eating plans and patterns.
•Green County Citizens will maintain appropriate calorie balance during each stage of life: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy and breastfeeding and older age.
•Green County Citizens will practice of physical activity in families and communities and decreased time spent on sedentary behaviors.
•Community members will advocate for policy.
•Green County Citizens will practice changes related to obesity, physical activity and healthy eating.
•Green County will strengthen community coalitions or partnerships to address obesity, physical inactivity and chronic disease.
•Green County Citizens will practice healthy lifestyle decision-making that strengthen individuals’ ability to cope with normal life stressors.
Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes needed to make informed choices regarding:
•Healthy lifestyle choices
•Childhood and youth obesity
•Adult weight management
•Healthy aging
•Practice and promotion of daily physical activity
•Policies that reduce the level of obesity
•Reduction of chronic disease
Initial Outcome: Adult Weight Management
Indicator: Of the total number of families.caregivers reached with information on accessing healthy foods the number of families/caregivers reached that gained knowledge about eating more healthy foods.
Method: Featured Program Questions, Questionnaire on healthy eating habits, Pre and Post evaluation exercises.
Timeline: July-June
Intermediate Outcome: Green County will strengthen community coalitions and/or partnerships to address obesity, physical inactivity and chronic disease.
Indicator: Number on ongoing coalitions with which Extension is involved.
Method: Number of physical activity opportunities, number of people in attendance.
Timeline: July-June
Long-term Outcome: Green County will increase in the practice and promotion of physical activity and healthy eating daily.
Indicator: Of the total number of families/caregivers reached that gained knowledge about eating more healthy foods.
Method: Featured program questions, questionnaire on healthy eating habits; Pre and Post Evaluation exercises.
Timeline: July-June
Audience: General Public most appropriate for those over 18
Project or Activity: Promoting Healthy Homes and Communtities
Content or Curriculum: University of Kentucky Publications
Inputs: FCS Agent, volunteers, Green County Health and Wellness CoalitionDate: June 2018-February 2019
Audience: Preschool aged children
Project or Activity: Literacy, Eating, Activity for Primary (LEAP)
Content or Curriculum: LEAP
Inputs: FCS Agent, preschool and daycares
Date: September-April 2018,2019
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Food Preservation Workshop
Content or Curriculum: Food Preservation Publications
Inputs: FCS Agent and Specialists
Date: July 2018
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Content or Curriculum: University Of Kentucky Publications on Making Healthy Choices
Inputs: FCS Agents, ADANTA, Senior Center
Date: April 2017-March 2018
Audience: Single Parents
Project or Activity: Monthly quick food preparation techniques for healthy meals
Content or Curriculum: University of Kentucky Publications
Inputs: FCS/4-H Agents, local agencies
Dates: August-March 2018
Author: Jordan Crain
Major Program: Youth Fruit & Vegetable Access
In an effort to promote healthy eating to students, the Green County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent along with Green County Primary School and Green County Intermediate School principals and family resource center collaborated to bring a new and exciting opportunity to students. Each month, students are given the opportunity to try and learn more about new and unusual foods. The goal of this program is to encourage students to share with their parents what new foods they have tried and hopef
Author: Jordan Crain
Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
The gluten-free diet is emerging as one of the most popular trend on the market, but gluten seems to be widely misunderstood. In response to requests for more information on gluten-free diets, The Gluten-Free Choice Is it for me? class was offered in Green County.Participants that were able to attend the lesson also received a sample of a gluten-free recipe that had been prepared. At the beginning it was shown that 75% of those attending were not following a gluten-free diet but were hopefu
Author: Jordan Crain
Major Program: Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities (general)
What’s all the Buzz about Beeswax Wraps and Green Cleaning?In response to the trend of using Beeswax Wraps as a healthy and reusable alternative to plastic wrap and Green Cleaning Products, Green County residents showed interested in learning how to make their own wraps and cleaners. DIY wraps are simple and fun to make. Cleaners are also simple to do. During the first class, participants learned about the use of the wraps, their potential to be used in the home, and how to make them
Author: Jordan Crain
Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
Small Appliance WorkshopNew, trendy small appliances seem to be coming out on the market at a rapid rate. These are often marketed to consumers to save time, money and energy. These products are often purchased without being fully researched and the consumer is left with a new machine that they do not know how to properly use. This contributes to money invested in a product that is not being used and space that is now being occupied by bulky boxes. In an effort to educate consumers about ne
