It is essential to have access to places and opportunities that foster healthy eating and active living. Communities can shape our behavior and influence our health.
Active Living for Communities
Children and adolescents should be active for at least 60 minutes every day. Adults need 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity most days of the week. Maintaining these recommended levels of physical activity can help lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and many forms of cancer.
There are a number of things that communities can do to make it easier for individuals to be active:
- Conduct Community-wide Campaigns
- Make Changes That Make It Easier to be Physically Active
- For example: provide funding to build and link sidewalks, crosswalks, and bicycle lanes; installing traffic signals to slow cars down and improve safety.
- Help People Find Places Where They Can Be Physically Active
- For example: Let community members and organizations use school gymnasiums, playing fields, and playgrounds when school is not in session; encourage community organizations to offer physical activity programs for youth.
- Work With Schools to Increase Youth Physical Activity
- Partner With Other Community Groups
Active Living Resources
The following are evidence-based interventions that have been shown to improve physical activity in communities:
- Improve Access to Public Transportation
- Bike and Pedestrian Master Plans
- Green Space and Parks
- Enhance Infrastructure to Support Walking and Biking
- Creation of Enhanced Access to Places for Physical Activity
- Streetscape Design
- Zoning Regulations for Land Use Policy
- Activity Programs for Older Adults
- Community Fitness Programs
- Community Wide Physical Activity Campaigns
- Joint Use Agreements
- Mixed Use Development
- Increase Places for Physical Activity
- Point-of-Decision Prompts
- Social Support Interventions
- Behavioral Interventions to Reduce Screen Time
- Enhance Infrastructure to Support Walking and Biking
- Improve Access to Outdoor Recreation
- Transportation and Travel Policies and Practices
- Locate Schools within Walking Distance from Residential Areas
- Enhance Personal Safety
Happy, Healthy Holidays!
In this lovely holiday season, we celebrate with our family and friends the gifts and the traditions which mean so much to us. An important part of holidays is the festive food and drink. It wouldn’t be Christmas without hot chocolate, frosted cookies, roasted meats, and pies. As we enjoy these delicacies moderately, they add joy […]
READ MORE >>Better Social Connections = Better Health
In the December 2016 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, David Asch and Roy Rosin make a compelling argument for the role of friends and family in healthcare and behavior change. They discuss 5 levels of social engagement strategies. “This model reveals opportunities to advance health by taking advantage of naturally occurring social […]
READ MORE >>Healthy Eating for Communities
The State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables (2013) reported that on average, American adults consume fruit only 1.1 times per day and vegetables 1.6 times per day. In Utah, a small percentage of adults eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables daily (34.2% and 17.5% respectively).
My plate (choosemyplate.gov) was designed to help individuals develop healthy eating habits. Individuals are encouraged to:
- Include a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy
- Select food and beverages that are low in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars
- Make small changes that will lead to a healthier life
- Support others in improving their nutrition
Communities can improve access to fruits and vegetables in the following ways:
- Identify areas in the community without healthy food retailers and develop initiatives to improve access to nutritious food in those areas
- Work to increase the number of farmers markets that accept nutrition assistance program benefits
- Assist existing retail venues in efforts to improve access to fruits and vegetables
Sources:
The CDC National Action Guide
CDC State Indicator Report
My Plate
Healthy Eating Resources
The following are evidence-based interventions that have been shown to improve physical nutrition in communities:
- Improve Healthy Food Environments
- Healthy Food Service Guidelines
- Promote Food Policy Councils
- Competitive Pricing for Healthy Foods
- Healthy Food in Convenience Stores
- Healthy Vending Machine Options
- Sugar Sweetened Beverage Taxes
- Community and Home Gardens
- Expanded Farmers’ Markets
- Point-of-Purchase Prompts
- Restaurant Nutrition Labeling
- Unhealthy Snack Tax
- Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Programs
- Include Fruits and Vegetables in Emergency Food Programs
- Improve Geographic Availability of Supermarkets
- Child-Focused Advertising Restrictions for Unhealthy Foods
Mental Wellness in Communities
Communities can work together to promote environments that support mental wellness and healthy lifestyles. According to the World Health Organization, mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”
Evidence shows that positive mental health is associated with improved health outcomes. However, only an estimated 17% of U.S. adults are in an optimal state of mental health. In Utah, adults reported an average of 3.4 mentally unhealthy days in the past month. Positive mental health allows people to:
- Realize their full potential
- Cope with the stresses of life
- Work productively
- Make meaningful contributions to their communities
Sources:
WHO:Mental Health
What is Mental Health?