Posted Mar 3, 2010
During March, the American Dietetic Association encourages people to be informed on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
“Not everybody thinks about it (nutrition) every single day. So actually, to have a whole month dedicated to it and get the word out there, I think is the main focus,” said Chelsey Olivier, a registered dietitian at Mercy Medical Center. Olivier said National Nutrition Month is a way to bring much needed awareness to nutrition and healthy lifestyles.
“Some people just don’t know. A lot of people I see, they think they’re doing everything right and when you actually sit down and look at it, there are different areas that they can change. People skip meals because they think that’s the way that they need to lose weight or different fad diets that people follow,” said Olivier. “Really it’s just about balanced eating and a healthy lifestyle.”
Recently, the 2010 County Health Rankings were released from by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. Clinton County placed 93rd out of 99 counties in Iowa in health outcomes, and 88th in health factors.
The Health outcomes ranking was comprised of mortality rankings — of which Clinton County ranked 83rd– and morbidity or quality of life– in which the county ranked 96th. The Health Factors category was compiled from health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment. Clinton County ranked 90th in health behavior, which included questions about tobacco use, diet and exercise, alcohol use and unsafe sex. In the clinical care ranking, which asked about the access to care and quality of care in the county, Clinton County is listed at 18th place. Clinton County is ranked at 74th place for the social and economic factors including; education, employment, income, family and social support and community safety. In the last category, physical environment, the county was ranked 98th out of 99.
“But, if you look at some of the programs that are in Clinton County — some of the coalitions that are trying to improve the health of Clinton County with it being childhood obesity programs, substance abuse programs, mental health programs — I would say that there are a lot of programs that are in the works to try to improve the health of those in Clinton County,” said Michele Cullen, Community Health manager at the Genesis VNA, in response to the low rankings.
Cullen said she feels that these results mean that the county needs to increase community awareness on what is available in the community.
“Because I think we have some really good, strong programs in our county that man people aren’t taking advantage of,” said Cullen.
Cullen said one of the biggest resources Clinton County has is the Healthy Lifestyles Coalition, which is sponsored by the Clinton County Board of Health. This coalition was formed five years ago to address the problem of childhood obesity when it was identified in the 2004 community health assessment as a high priority in the county. The Healthy Lifestyle Coalition is a group of community partners that have many years of experience with community projects. The coalition has created pamphlets on nutrition and fitness opportunities in Clinton County, offered healthy living information at community events during the summer and helped with the YMCA/YWCA’s fitness promotions.
“With the rise of obesity in not only Clinton County, but within the nation, it’s something we need to seriously take a look at and try to get under control,” said Cynthia Kaczinski, a WIC dietitian and member of the coalition. She said the coalition works to meet these needs.
“We look for opportunities to promote or increase awareness of the importance of physical activity and healthy eating in school age children in the youth of our county,” said Cullen. She said she feels people do not take advantage of the many opportunities for education and help which are available.
“When you look at our dietary needs, there are a lot of access to the Internet, which tells you how to eat properly. But there are also dietitians in town, the hospital, Medical Associates, HyVee has a dietitian. There are a lot of opportunities that if people didn’t know what the proper foods are to eat, that there are resources that they can use to help them live a healthy lifestyle,” said Cullen.
She said that good nutrition is a topic which people need to be educated about.
“Proper nutrition is important because it effects how you live your daily life,” said Cullen. She said nutrition gives a person “the energy to be a good student, parent, citizen.”
“It enables you to do so much more if you take care of your body with proper nutrition and regular physical activity,” said Cullen.
Cullen said nutrition and health programs are available in the area. The Healthy Lifestyles Coalition is once again partnering with the county’s school districts for “Go the Distance Day.” This event includes a 30 minute physical activity event, followed with a healthy snack and water for all participants.
Beth Freehill, HyVee dietitian and member of the coalition, said HyVee will be holding a “Kids Club: Celebrate National Nutrition Month” event on March 18. The event will be from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the HyVee dining area. The event costs $5 and is open to ages 5 to 10 years old. The children will be making healthy snacks and participating in other activities. Participants must register with HyVee Customer Service at least one day in advance. Anyone interested can call 243-6162 and ask for Customer Service or for Freehill.
Olivier said in her duties at Mercy, she works with in-patient, out-patient and community education. She works with businesses in Clinton and Fulton, Ill., to promote employee wellness. She also works to provide good nutrition and information to the employees at Mercy. During February, heart healthy specials were created for the cafeteria’s menu. March 10 is Registered Dietitian Day. Olivier said she will be working on a feature on the dietitians at Mercy. She is also looking into other possible programs and ways to promote good nutrition.
To see more of Clinton Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.clintonherald.com/.
Copyright © 2010, Clinton Herald, Iowa