A group of refugees attending a Hispanic church group in Jefferson County, Kentucky were concerned about the risks associated with the amount of sugar and fats consumed by their kids. The group of refugees asked for help . and to join the Healthy Choices for Everybody provided by the Jefferson County Extension Nutrition Education Program to find out how to improve their health. In the classes, participants were taught how to substitute 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 seven 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, data shows:

    96% improvement in their daily intake of sugar drinks and sport drinks (decreased intake).  

    100 % improvement in fresh fruit consumption