Making Healthy Lifestyle ChoicesPlan of Work

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Boone County CES

Title:
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
MAP:
Promote Healthy Lifestyles
Agents Involved:
Diane Mason, David Koester
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (Curriculum)
Situation:
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.
Long-Term Outcomes:
A decrease in the number of obese and overweight children, youth, adults and elderly

Increase in the practice and promotion of physical activity and healthy eating daily

Improvement in the built environment to promote physical activity and healthy eating

Improvement in the mental health and well-being of Kentuckians

Manage and prevent the risk, debilitation, and premature death related to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke and hypertension

Increase the estimated health savings in dollars for chronic disease.

Increase policies that address obesity, physical inactivity and promotion of poor nutrition

More people growing and eating their own fresh fruits and vegetables, gaining health benefits from more exercise (gardening) and from gaining easy access to healthier foods with more fiber and less fat, through fresh garden produce they grow at home.
Intermediate Outcomes:
Practice healthy food choices and strengthen individuals’ ability to build healthy eating plans and patterns.
Maintain appropriate calorie balance during each stage of life: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy and breastfeeding and older age

Practice of physical activity in families and communities and decreased time spent on sedentary behaviors

Community members advocate for policy

Changes related to obesity, physical activity and healthy eating.

Strengthen community coalitions or partnerships to address obesity, physical inactivity and chronic disease.

Practice healthy lifestyle decision-making that strengthen individuals’ ability to cope with normal life stressors.
Initial Outcomes:
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 that reduce the level of obesity

Reduction of chronic disease
Evaluation:
Initial Outcome: Post program surveys
Indicator: Change in knowledge or attitude and intent to implement
Method: Post program surveys
Timeline: Immediately following program

Intermediate Outcome: Post Program Surveys
Indicator: Use of information from program and change in practice or behavior
Method: Mailed or on-line survey of participants
Timeline: 3 to 6 months following program

Long-term Outcome: Change in behavior that leads to change in health
Indicator: Community indicators for health
Method: Statistics from state and national organizations
Timeline: 4 years
Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Exploring the Mediterranean Lifestyle

Content or Curriculum: Plate it Up Kentucky Proud; U of Penn Extension Curriculum

Inputs: Farmers Market, Plate it Up Kentucky Proud recipes; U of Penn Curriculum

Date: August 2017


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: How Do You Eat That?

Content or Curriculum: Plate it Up Kentucky Proud

Inputs: Plate it Up Recipes; Farmers Market; Extension Fact Sheets

Date: July 2017


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Baking for Just a Few Series

Content or Curriculum: Baking for One or Two; Plate it Up Kentucky Proud

Inputs: Curriculum; foods

Date: February 2018


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Designed for Health

Content or Curriculum: Slim by Design research and resources

Inputs: Worksheets

Date: August and September 2017


Audience: Adults, general public

Project or Activity: Hands-on Food Preservation for Adult Beginners to include fresh garden produce

Content or Curriculum: University of Kentucky curriculum

Inputs: Canning supplies, fact sheets

Date: August 2017


Audience: Adults, general public

Project or Activity: Friday Food Fun

Content or Curriculum: Extension curricula; different topic each month

Inputs: Cooking supplies

Date: Monthly, July, August, September, October, November, December 2017; January, February, March, April, May, June 2018


Audience: Adults, general public

Project or Activity: "Organic Vegetable Gardening"

Content or Curriculum: Participants will learn how to plant and maintain a vegetable garden using organic and cultural controls for pests and diseases.

Inputs: Classes taught by extension staff

Date: March, April 2018




Success Stories

Farm Frenzy

Author: Katie Smallwood

Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)

~~According to the American Dairy Association, in 2016,  the total amount of milk produced in Kentucky was over 125 million gallons.  During a three day agriculture program, Farm Frenzy, the University of Kentucky's Boone County Cooperative Extension Service's Family and Consumer Sciences agents had the opportunity to teach 1455 Boone County School children and their teachers and chaperones about dairy and the importance of consuming three servings  of dairy each day. &nbs

Full Story

Mediterranean Lifestyle Awareness

Author: Diane Mason

Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)

According to Oldways/Mediterranean Foods Alliance (www.oldwayspt.org) the growing body of medical and scientific evidence supporting the healthfulness of the Mediterranean diet, continues to show that following a Mediterranean lifestyle may defend against chronic diseases, lower the risk for heart disease, protect from diabetes, ward off Parkinson’s disease, and aid in weight management efforts. Raising awareness of this lifestyle and encouraging individuals to adopt healthier eating

Full Story

Mastery of Living Well

Author: Diane Mason

Major Program: Embracing Life as We Age (general)

According the U.S. Census, approximately 54 percent of the Boone County population is between the ages of 18 and 65 and about 13 percent is age 65 or older. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle throughout life is important, but even more so the older we get. Healthier adults generally require fewer medical services and may live independently longer. Educational programming to address common aging questions and issues has been requested and supported by the Family and Consumer Sciences Advisory Commit

Full Story
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