Obesity is associated with an increased risk for a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some cancers. In Kentucky and the United States, the percentage of adults who are obese continues to rise. Excess weight also contributes to the development of arthritis, a chronic disease that is one of the leading causes of disability among adults.

There were several requests from the community for the Family and Consumer Sciences Agent to hold a health and wellness program to assist people who were dealing with physical health issues related to poor diet and obesity. The agent offered a 10-week program titled "Cruisin to a Healthier YOU!" to run through the summer months. All topics were related to improving health and nutrition knowledge and participating in activities to improve health factors. Some of the topics in the 10-week program were: Nutrient Dense Foods and Beverages, Stress Eating and Stress Management, Understanding the Food Label, Making Healthy Beverage Choices, Mindful Eating and Physical Activity.

Fourteen participants signed up and engaged in the activities. A total of nine individuals completed the 10-week series. They gauged their readiness level for change, kept food and beverage logs, identified things that cause personal stress and how stress impacts their eating habits, learned and implemented strategies to make healthier food and beverage choices and added physical activity to their daily routines. 

Program participants individually tracked their habits and choices related to the above mentioned topics. Each week they discussed what they had learned and how they incorporated this knowledge into their daily lives. One participant shared that this series helped her to begin to monitor her sugar levels and this was something that she had been avoiding. She reported improvements in how she physically felt after making some changes that were introduced during the series. A husband and wife team shared that they were able to work on the information and challenges together and how that was helping them to continue their journey to improved physical health as a couple. Finally, another participant shared "I lost 10lbs in the 10 weeks!"