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. Unhealthy lifestyle choices also lead to stroke, falls, poor oral health, and depression. Individuals in Fleming County bear a heavier brunt of the obesity and chronic disease burden.

The Fleming County Family and Consumer Science Extension agent and SNAP Ed assistant held a 10 month program titled Living Well that included lessons on understanding blood pressure, heart disease, oral health, food label reading, the importance of exercise, understanding diabetes and other health related topics. 

As a direct result of this program 80% of participants reported creating a log of their medication to have ready for doctors’ visits, and 90% of participants reported using recipes with their families from the 2018 NEP calendar. An additional 75% of participants reported incorporating stretching techniques to help with their balance. At the end of the program all participates indicated they were more active. This program also resulted individuals forming a walking group to encourage each other to be more active.