According to recent data reported by kentuckyhealthfacts.org, over one third of adults in Leslie County reported that they did not participate in any physical activity.  A whopping 94% of them did not meet the USDA’s standards for daily intake of fruits and vegetables.  This could explain why more than three quarters of the population are classified as overweight.  In an effort to combat this, the Leslie County Cooperative Extension Service’s SNAP-Ed (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education) assistant offered a 10-week program for SNAP-eligible individuals titled, “Healthy Choices for Every Body.”  Beechwood Apartments, a public housing unit, partnered with program providers, offering a meeting space to make this possible.

There were eleven participants who completed the program.   At the end of the program, as a whole, 82% of the group reported an increase in their daily consumption of fruits and vegetables and 100% reported improvement in physical activity.  All of participants expressed how proud they were of their accomplishments and shared that they would remain committed to improving their health using the tools and knowledge they acquired as a result of participating in the Healthy Choices program.