Extension
It Starts With Us
Nutrition and Fitness
Achieving a Healthy Lifestyle
Joyce Doyle, Christy Eastwood, Maggie Forsee
Recipes for Life
Nutrition and Food Systems General
Super Star Chef
Health & Wellbeing
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. Kentucky ranks 3rd in the nation with 20.8% childhood obesity for 10 to 17 years old. 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.
The Centers for Disease Control found in a nationally representative survey that only 29% of high school youth participated in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on each of the seven days before the survey. Participation in physical activity decreases as we age.
Healthy living is one of three 4-H mission mandates and encompasses: physical activity, personal safety, mental health, addiction prevention, and diversity and inclusion.
The Carroll County Extension Service is encouraged to reach diverse audiences to help combat chronic disease and obesity in Carroll County. The Kentucky State Data Center of Vital Statistics reports that from 2016 to 2018 the obesity rate in Carroll County was 16% for adults and the National Survey of Children’s Health reported 20% for high school students. Extension programs help reduce obesity through improved diet, hands-on culinary programs, physical activity, school programs, and promoting access to healthy food options through the Riverview Farmers' Market.
- Routinely employ healthy dietary practices that promote health and wellness (e.g. consume recommended daily fruits and vegetables and improve food management skills)
- Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity in adults and youth
- Carroll County Youth will:
- Maintain positive health habits.
- Generate positive attitudes toward changing dietary decisions to be more healthful.
- Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods
- 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
- Carroll County Youth will:
- Increase and adopt healthier behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle.
- Utilize and practice life skills in projects and life situations.
- Practice healthy eating choices.
- 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 access and prepare healthier foods
- Carroll County Youth will:
- Be more aware of health concerns.
- Make a commitment to set family rules regarding eating together, limiting screen time, active play and exercise, set routines.
- Promote physical, social and emotional health habits.
Outcome:
Long-term.
Indicator:
Decrease in chronic disease and obesity statistics through Kentucky Health Facts. Increased number of youth with positive health habits.
Method:
Kentucky Health Facts statistics. Common Measures Experience Survey.
Timeline:
2 – 4 years
Outcome:
Intermediate.
Indicator:
Number of individuals who reported preparing more home-cooked meals, modifying ingredients and/or preparation techniques to improve nutrition. Number of individuals who reported eating 4-6 servings of fruits and/or vegetables daily. 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. Number of youth indicated they exercised regularly.
Method:
Self-report survey. Curricula or program evaluations. Common Measures Experience Survey.
Timeline:
1 – 1 ½ years
Outcome:
Initial.
Indicator:
Number of individuals who reported knowledge and skills to improve food-shopping management, utilize the food label to make healthy food choices, choosing smaller portions; increased food preservation knowledge, and recommended food preservation practices. Youth will gain knowledge of health concerns and healthy eating.
Method:
Self-report survey. Curricula or program evaluations. Common Measures Experience Survey.
Timeline
8 months – 1 year
Audience:
Carroll County 5th Graders
Project or Activity:
Recipes for Life
Content or Curriculum:
Recipes for Life
Inputs:
Extension Agents, Extension Staff, Volunteers, UK Publications, SNAP-Ed Incentives, Grant, Money, Time
Date(s):
Spring 2025
Audience:
Carroll County Families and Individuals
Project or Activity:
Food Preservation
Content or Curriculum:
Publications, Trainings.
Inputs:
Extension Agent, Extension Staff, Volunteers, Facilities, Programmatic materials, Grants, Money, Time
Date(s):
July-September 2024
July-September 2025
Audience:
Carroll County Extension Homemakers and Residents
Project or Activity:
Lunch and Learn
Content or Curriculum:
Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud, UK Food and Nutrition Calendar, International Cuisine publications, Plate It Up! Toolkit
Inputs:
FCS Extension Agent, Extension Staff, UK Publications, SNAP-Ed Incentives, Money, Time
Date(s):
July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec 2024/Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June 2025
Audience:
Carroll County Youth 2nd and 3rd Grade
Project or Activity:
Nutrition Lessons
Content or Curriculum:
Professor Popcorn/My Plate
Inputs:
Extension Agent, Cartmell Elementary Staff, Chop Chop Magazines, Time, Money
Date(s):
August 2024
May 2025
Audience:
Carroll County Youth, 3rd Grade
Project or Activity:
Nutrition and Fitness Lessons
Content or Curriculum:
My Plate Chop Chop Magazines
Inputs:
Extension Agent, Cartmell Elementary School Staff, Time, Money
Date(s):
August 2024
May 2025
Audience:
Residents of Carroll County and surrounding areas
Project or Activity:
Riverview Farmers' Market
Content or Curriculum:
Craft, meat, and produce vendors from Carroll County and nearby counties
Inputs:
Extension Agent, Riverview Farmers' Market, Three Rivers Health Department, Time, Money
Dates:
Spring and summer 2024
Spring and summer 2025
Audience:
senior adults at the Senior Center
Project or Activity:
Nutrition lessons
Content or Curriculum
myPlate
Inputs:
Extension Agent, Senior Center
Dates:
July, August, September, October, November, December 2024, January, February, March, April, May, June 2025
Author: Joyce Doyle
Major Program: Civic Engagement
Last summer a homeschool mother came to me and ask if I would offer a homeschool club. Of course, I said yes, and ask her what lessons she would like taught. She said Kentucky History would be a great place to start so I added a homeschool class for each month of the school year.The first class was talking about the History of Kentucky, identifying the state of Kentucky on an United States Map, a craft of the shape of Kentucky, the symbols of Kentucky and the foods that a
