Extension
It Starts With Us
Promoting Physical and Mental Health
Healthy Individuals, Families, and Communities
Brewer, Faris, Flynt, Adkins
Health & Wellbeing
Building Healthy Coalitions
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy
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 cancer. The obesity rate is currently 34.3%. 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. While minorities and individuals residing in Appalachia bear a heavier brunt of the obesity and chronic disease burden, the epidemic can be noted statewide. The goal of the Extension's focus on healthy lifestyle choices is to reverse these trends by working with various organizations, agencies, and groups to promote the health and wellness in all Kentuckians.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), moderate-intensity level activity for 2.5 hours each week can reduce the risk for obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, depression, colon cancer and premature death. The CDC considers gardening a moderate-intensity level activity and can help individuals to achieve that 2.5-hour goal each week. Additionally, those that choose gardening as their moderate-intensity exercise are more likely to exercise 40-50 minutes longer on average than those that choose activities like walking or biking. By venturing outdoors to private and community gardens, individuals assist in keeping their community vital, as well as improving their own health and well-being.
- A decrease in the number of obese and overweight children, youth, adults and elderly
- Increase in the practice and promotion of physical activity and daily healthy eating
- Improvement in the built environment to promote physical activity and healthy eating
- Improvement in the mental health and wellbeing 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/advocate for policies that address obesity, physical inactivity and promotion of poor nutrition
- Maintain appropriate balance of nutrients for each stage of life: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy and breastfeeding and older in age
- Increase physical activity of families and communities and decreased time spent on sedentary behaviors
- Community members advocate for policy
- Positive 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 nutrition management
- Healthy aging
- Practice and promotion of daily physical activity
- Policies that that reduce the level of chronic illness
- Reduction of chronic illnesses
Initial Outcome: Individuals will become more aware of skills needed to make informed choices regarding health.
Indicator: Distribution of knowledge
Method: newsletters, social media posts, workshops, training
Timeline: year round
Intermediate Outcome: Clients will become more physically active.
Indicator: participation in physical activity and grow their own fruit and vegetables
Method: promoting local opportunities for physical activity and community gardening.
Timeline: year round
Long-term Outcome: Clients will have improved their overall health.
Indicator: reduced instances of obesity, reduced chronic disease occurrences, more physical activity participation
Method: newsletters, social media posts, publications, trainings and workshops.
Timeline: Year round
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Recipes for Life
Content or Curriculum: myplate, Recipes for Life curriculum.
Inputs: materials, staff, curriculum, partners
Date: Fall
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: KY Explorers
Content or Curriculum: Natural Resources Curriculum, Master Naturalist program
Inputs: Curriculum, State Parks, National Parks, County Agent, Department of Forestry, Department of Fish & Wildlife
Date: Monthly
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Gardening
Content or Curriculum: Basic Gardening, Master Gardener Curriculum, Community Gardens
Inputs: Staff, Curriculum, Materials
Date: Spring, Summer, and Fall
Audience: Farmers
Project or Activity: Farm Dinner Theater
Content or Curriculum: Mental Health Curriculum
Inputs: Staff, Curriculum, Materials
Date: Winter
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Community Garden
Content or Curriculum: Basic Gardening, Master Gardener Curriculum
Inputs: Staff, Curriculum, Materials
Date: Spring, Summer, Fall
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Wellness with Chronic Illness
Content: Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)/FCS Curriculum and Food as Health
Inputs: Staff, FCS resources, grants, UK Health Care, etc.
Date: Year Round
Audience: Adults, Youth
Activity: Rehabilitation Garden Program
Content or Curriculum: Recovery Garden Toolkit; grant money, SNAP-Ed and UK - CAFE publications, staff, equipment, volunteers
Date: Year Round
Audience: Farmers
Project or Activity: Raising Hope, KDA
Content: Promoting mental health and awareness in the Ag Industry
Inputs: Staff, materials, publications
Date: Year Round
Audience: Farmers
Project or Activity: Farm Estate Planning
Content: Estate planning information, grief information
Inputs: Staff, materials, publications
Date: Fall
