Extension
It Starts With Us
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (FCS/HORT)
Promote Healthy Lifestyles
Diane Mason, David Koester
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Apparel and Textiles (Non-Master Clothing Volunteer)
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.
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.
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 implementation and 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.
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
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
Audience: Adults, general public
Project or Activity: Food Preservation for the Adult Beginner
Content or Curriculum: University of Kentucky curriculum
Inputs: Fact Sheets, online access
Date: August 2022
Project or Activity: Friday Food Fun: Increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and essential nutrients
Content or Curriculum: Extension curricula; different topic each month
Inputs: Cooking supplies
Date: Monthly, July, August, September, October, November, December 2022; January, February, March, April, May, June 2023
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Baking Basics Series (4 sessions)
Content or Curriculum: Super Star Chef Kneads a Little Dough
Inputs: fact sheets
Date: October 2022
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Evenings in the Garden
Content or Curriculum: UK Publications; Plate it Up Kentucky Proud; Home Food Preservation; Horticulture publications
Inputs: Publications; nature center gardens
Date: July and August 2022
Audience: Sustainable Kentucky
Project or Activity: 5-part series
Content or Curriculum: Sustainable Kentucky curriculum
Inputs: Curriculum, virtual teaching capability, farmers market demonstration area, food samples
Date: July 2022
Audience: Cleaning Matters
Project or Activity: sessions on decluttering; radon; home cleaning and care
Content or Curriculum: UK curriculum
Inputs: Curriculum, virtual teaching capability
Date: March 2023
Audience: Cooking with Kids
Project or Activity: 3-part series
Content or Curriculum: Super Star Chef
Inputs: Curriculum, cooking supplies
Date: July 2022
Author: Diane Mason
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
According to a 2022 report from the Trust for America’s Health, Kentucky has the second highest rate of adults with obesity in the nation at 40.3 percent (following West Virginia with 40.6 percent) (https://www.tfah.org/report-details/state-of-obesity-2022/). In Boone County, Kentucky it is estimated that 37 percent of the adult population is obese (County Health Rankings at https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/explore-health-rankings/compare-counties?compareCounties=21000%2C21015&year
Author: Diane Mason
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
Sustainable living means understanding how our lifestyle choices impact the world around us and finding ways for everyone to live better and lighter. (United Nations Environment Program) More and more individuals are becoming more aware of how their choices affect their own health and well-being as well as the earth.“Sustainable Kentucky,” a pilot curriculum developed by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension, was presented to 18 adults from the general public. Lessons with
Author: Diane Mason
Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation
In recent years the value of baking and cooking from scratch or at home has been shown to help improve mental health and well-being (1,2,3,4). Helping individuals learn to bake, while creating recipes that yield small portions was the focus of two programs offered by the Boone County Cooperative Extension Service. “Baking Basics” (four weeks) and “Baking for One, Two or a Few” (three weeks) were two hands-on series focused on creating baked goods based on the Univer
