Extension
It Starts With Us
Improve physical and mental health
Making healthy lifestyle choices
Rebecca Miller and Brian Good
Cook Together, Eat Together
Health
LEAP
Active Living and Health Promotions General
A foundation of nutrition knowledge, skills and competencies in topics such as food safety, handling and preparation, cooking methods and techniques, feeding practices, food science, and food systems are essential to changing dietary behaviors. With the increased trend of chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky, individuals, families, and communities need tools and environments that support healthful dietary decisions. CES agents are encouraged to reach diverse audiences to help combat chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky communities.
According to Kentucky Health Facts.org Bell County has a 47% obesity rate for adults. Families and individuals suffer from chronic diseases due to the lack of physical activity. Most feel like they do not have the time to exercise and lack motivation. Extension provides opportunities for Bell Countians to get needed physical activity throughout their day and improve their overall health through eating nutritious foods.
- Routinely employ healthy dietary practices that promote health and wellness in youth and adults(e.g. consume recommended daily fruits and vegetables, improve food management skills, physical activity)
- Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity in youth and adults
- Generate positive attitudes toward changing dietary decisions to be more healthful.
- Increase intake of fruits, vegetables
- Decrease intake of solid fats, added sugars, and sodium
- Employ healthful cooking methods, feeding practices, and food preservation techniques
- Increased access to healthy food via local farmers markets, food retailers, and/or home gardens
- Increase amount of physical activity
- Increase awareness about relationships between food and nutrition practices and chronic disease.
- Improve food and nutrition-related skills (e.g. gardening, preparation and preservation techniques, safe food handling, food resource management)
- Increase confidence in ability to employ healthy eating practices
- Increase motivation to exercise,access and prepare healthier foods
Outcome: Nutrition knowledge, skills, and competencies
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: use knowledge and skills to improve food-shopping management; utilize the food label to make healthy food choices; choosing smaller portions; increased food preservation knowledge; demonstrated recommended food preservation practices; number of individuals who reported they exercise more or get the recommended amount of physical activity in their day.
Method: Self-report surveys; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Preparing and preserving food
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: preparing more home-cooked meals; modifying ingredients and/or preparation techniques to improve nutrition
Method: Self-report survey; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Dietary intake
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: eating 4-6 servings of fruits and/or vegetables daily
Method: Self-report surveys about fruit and vegetable intake or other dietary improvements; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Availability and access to healthy food
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: utilizing delivery systems/access points (e.g., farmers’ markets, CSAs, WIC, food pantries) that offer healthy foods; supplementing diets with healthy foods grown or preserved (e.g., community or backyard gardens, fishing, hunting, farmers markets); dollar value of vendor-reported sales or EBT, WIC, or Senior benefits redeemed at farmers’ markets; number of pints of foods preserved through water bath canning, pressure canning, freezing, or drying.
Method: Self-report survey
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Audience:4-H youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Cooking 101/Super Star Chef
Content or Curriculum: 4-H cooking 101 booklet, Super Star Chef curriculum, UK 4-H publications on nutrition
Inputs: paid staff, volunteers, facilities, programmatic materials, NEP
Date: Summer 2024
Audience: homemakers, adults, youth, SNAP eligible families
Project or Activity: My Plate
Content or Curriculum: Professor Popcorn, NEP publications and curriculum
Inputs: NEP, paid staff, schools
Date: July 2023-June 2024
Audience: cloverbuds, youth 9 and under
Project or Activity: LEAP
Content or Curriculum: Agents, schools, SNAP Ed, Family Resource Centers
Inputs: Agents, schools, SNAP Ed, Family Resource Centers
Date: July 2023-June 2024
Audience: adults, homemakers, youth
Project or Activity: Food Preservation
Content or Curriculum: UK publications, So Easy to Preserve Videos, trainings
Inputs: paid staff, Specialist, facilities, NEP
Date: May to September for adults and youth
Audience: general public, youth, adults, farmers, homemakers
Project or Activity: Farmer's Market Outreach
Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up, marketing, growing vegetables, farmers market tool kit
Inputs: NEP, specialist, paid staff, KDA
Date: April- October growing season
Audience: adults, homemakers, youth
Project or Activity: Food Preparation for Better Health-Cooking Classes
Content or Curriculum: super star chef, Cook Together Eat Together, Weight the Reality Series, Plate It Up!
Inputs :programmatic materials, paid staff, community partners
Date: July 2023-June 2024
Audience: adults, youth, families, homemakers
Project or Activity: Walking Program
Content or Curriculum: Get Moving Ky or Couch Potato Challenge
Inputs: agents, specialist, programmatic materials
Date: Fall 2024
Audience: 4-H youth 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Health Rocks
Content or Curriculum: UK content/publications
Inputs: agents, schools, volunteers, community members
Date: July 2023-June 2024
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Hiking for Health
Content or Curriculum: UK content/publications
Inputs: agents, schools, volunteers, community members
Date: October 2023
Author: Rebecca Miller
Major Program: Family Development General
In efforts to reach underserved audiences and provide them with information and activities to keep their families engaged in physical activity and spending time together, the Bell County Extension Service hosted three family day out events along with storybook walks in two local parks in our county. Studies from the Cabinet for Health and Services show that 79% of children do not exercise the amount required weekly. To get families outdoors and moving
Author: Michelle Brock
Major Program: Health
Holidays are expensive and sometimes very stressful. According to the Division of Agriculture at the University of Arkansas, crafting can be a solution. They go on to state that stress is one of our leading health problems. Its effects range from migraines and fatigue to heart failure and early memory loss. Reducing stress reduces disease. The CDC recommends that you give yourself a break if you begin to feel stressed or overwhelmed. They go on to report that spending time outdoors can impr
Author: Rebecca Miller
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
Obesity and being overweight is a major issue the people in Bell County struggle with daily. Lack of exercise and sedentary lifestyles are the leading cause for this growing problem. To help address this issue, “Fall” Into Walking, was started by the Cooperative Extension Service. Emphasis is on becoming more active by finding activities to help get people moving and off the couch. Twenty-One participants walked, jogged, danced or biked their way to a more active
Author: Brian Good
Major Program: Health
In the fall of 2023, the Bell County Extension office held two Family Day Out events in the county. One event was held in Pineville while the other was in Middlesboro. The events were in parks that were closely related to public housing, with the idea that extension programs could reach an audience that was not familiar with our programming. This was an all reasonable efforts approach as both parks were well within walking distance from public housing. Included at the events were healthy snacks
Author: Rebecca Miller
Major Program: LEAP
With obesity and poor oral health issues on the rise in 2023, more educators in Bell County sought out ways to help make the children in their classrooms healthy and safe. By using the LEAP (Literacy, Eating and Activity for the Primary) curriculum the Bell County Extension Office along with Family Resource Centers, Partners for Rural Impact and several school teachers, we were able to reach 549 students in Pre-K through 3rd grade with educational information concerning these
Author: Rebecca Miller
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
According to the CDC Kentucky is one of the 22 states that have an adult obesity rate at or above 35%. To focus on making healthier lifestyle choices and encourage people to lose weight, FCS Agent, Extension Program Assistant and Senior SNAP ED Assistant conducted the program Drop It Like It’s Hot for 10 weeks via hybrid method. The program had 14 participants that attended the program and received informational lessons from the University of Kentucky
Author: Brian Good
Major Program: Leadership
The middle school period in a child's life comes with many obstacles and changes which include cognitive, physical, social and emotional. This is also a time when youth typically build their resilience with challenges in life such as grades in school, team sports and activities, personal growth and social changes. While navigating life and challenges, it is imperative that youth have a support network which includes family, friends, teachers, 4-H agent and other mentors. The Kentucky 4-
