A group of newly arrived international refugees attending a local church group in Jefferson County, Kentucky were concerned about the risks associated with the amount of sugar consumed by their kids. The group of refugees sought help within the church network. They were advised to join the Healthy Choices for Every Body provided by the Kentucky Nutrition Education Program to find out how to improve their health condition. In the classes led by the Nutrition Education Program Assistant with the University of Kentucky’s Cooperative Extension Service, they were taught how to reduce sugar intake for their kids. The individuals were taught that by adding more fresh fruits and low sugar substitutes in place of sugary drinks to decrease the amount of high sugar content drinks their families were consuming.

After several classes together, the individuals started making small changes in their kids’ habits. They were very happy to learn and help other friends and families that were affected by the same type of illness and needed help. Several individuals from the group were suffering from Type 2 Diabetes and had struggled to control it in the past. At the conclusion of the program, questionnaire data shows a 44% improvement in their daily intake of sugar drinks and sport drinks. Data also shows a 100 % improvement in fresh fruit consumption among participants.