Health Statistics:

According to recent data, Greenup County has approximately 35,403 adults, with an obesity rate of 41.8% and an adult diabetes prevalence of 16%.  

Partnership:

The Greenup County Cooperative Extension Service partnered with Greenup County Health Department, and the Diabetes Today Coalition to address these health challenges.

Educational Response:

Together, they presented the "Dinner with Diabetes" program, aiming to educate participants on managing diabetes through dietary choices.

Target Audience:

The program targeted adults diagnosed with diabetes and their family members responsible for meal planning and preparation. The event was planned close to Valentine’s Day, highlighting the event as a night out for couples or families.  Centered around education, with a nice atmosphere including live music for the recipe sampling portion of the program.  

Outcomes:

Over 50 adults participated in an evening at the Greenup County Extension Office featuring cooking demonstrations and recipes tastings from the Dining with Diabetes curriculum. The Greenup County Health Department brought several educational sessions including What is Diabetes, A1C 101, and medication management.  The Greenup County FCS program focused on cooking demonstrations, recipe tasting, meal planning and the importance of exercise. As a result of the program, 70% reported engaging in continuous exercise for 30 minutes on three or more days each week. Additionally, 65% began cooking more meals at home, and 60% adopted portion control strategies to manage diabetes. Finally, 80% expressed confidence in their ability to control their diabetes or assist their loved ones in doing so. 

One participant commented that he was sure that upon arrival he wasn’t going to like any of the food and only came because his wife wanted to.  As he was leaving, he said “I enjoyed every single bite of those recipes, I savored every morsel I ate! I always thought healthy food had to taste bad, you certainly changed my mind about that!”