TRADING HABITS

According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 34% of American adults are considered obese while in Boyd County, KY that figure is 41%.   The director of a women’s drug/alcohol rehabilitation facility contacted the Boyd County Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) assistant expressing concern regarding poor dietary habits of incoming patients when being admitted into rehabilitation.  Of particular concern was that patients where trading their drug use/alcohol use with drinking beverages high in sugars and/or added-sugars.  Research shows that this type of behavior can lead to diseases such as obesity, diabetes, kidney and heart disease.  These sugar/added-sugar beverages can also cause further tooth decay, and other dental issues, that began during drug usage.  The SNAP-Ed assistant partnered with the rehabilitation facility and taught weekly classes with the women in the recovery program using the Healthy Choices for Every Body curriculum.   The “Know your Limits” lesson was emphasized with an additional focus on sugar and sugar-added beverages.   Each person received a tracking form to record water intake in lieu of beverages containing sugar/added-sugars.  After one week, the decline in consumption of sugar/sugar-added beverages declined by 40%.    By the end of the lesson series, consumption of sugar/sugar-added beverages declined by 100%.