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Health Official Says "Never Too Late" to Improve One's
Health At an ACFN TRIUMPH event in Oklahoma City on November 16, Oklahoma Secretary of Health Terry Cline urged people of the state, regardless of age or ability, to take charge of their own wellness. "Programs like the ones represented here today, throughout our city and state, will help you take the first step in your journey to a healthier lifestyle," he said. The Secretary of Health served as keynote for the half-day event, co-sponsored by ACFN and the National Association for Health and Fitness (NAHF), in which more than 100 community leaders and local health and wellness experts convened to celebrate the successes and examine the challenges of creative local programs working to fight obesity. This event was the seventh and final TRIUMPH event of 2005. The event was the subject of two articles in the The Oklahoman, the state's largest newspaper, as well as two separate news stories on the local CBS affiliate, KWTV-9. “It all starts at home … families spending more time together, sitting down for family dinners, cooking healthy meals, going for walks. It makes a difference if the entire family is involved together,” said Jennifer Eve, producer and host of “Together at the Table,” one of the local programs highlighted at the event. This segment airs each week on KWTV-9 during the Wednesday noon and Sunday morning newscasts.
Other programs highlighted conduct health and wellness education in Oklahoma’s at-risk populations. Oklahoma’s REACH 2010 Project represents eight Native American tribes/nations, one urban Indian health center and the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Chronic Disease Service. Collectively the program provides 75 various physical activity interventions each week by Native Americans to Native Americans and their families. Mary Massey-Douglas, tribal program consultant, told the audience, “We have participants across the state working to improve their health and getting physically active. From our data we have found a decrease in BMI among adults.” Currently, there are more than 5,000 participants enrolled statewide in the Oklahoma Native American REACH 2010 Project who have had baseline measurements taken. Panelist Ryan Brown, M.D., pediatrician at the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Diabetes Wellness Center, stressed the importance of educating children on healthy habits and choices. “ It is important for children to take baby steps when adapting to change in their daily routines. If you take everything away, like snacks and TV, or tell them no … they are more susceptible to resist change,” he said. Tinker Air Force Base is also making efforts to get Oklahomans moving with its Fit 4 Life program, which provides civilians the opportunity to join military colleagues in efforts to establish lifetime health and fitness habits. Fit 4 Life consists of trained fitness leaders leading group exercise, earning fitness incentive items and monthly health themes as part of a base-wide culture change. Karen Blackwell, chief of health promotions, said, "We are helping people to see the importance of physical fitness and its impact on increasing their productivity and the significance of their overall health and wellness. The program encourages civilians on Tinker to get involved in some type of physical activity. Our mission is to support the war-fighter and we can do that better by improving our health." Event panelists represented a variety of academic institutions and health care programs across Oklahoma, including Oklahoma State University, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Diabetes Wellness Center, Oklahoma Fit Kids Coalition and Oklahoma University. ACFN and NAHF are compiling a summary of observations from the TRIUMPH series, to be available in early 2006. For summaries of the previous TRIUMPH events, please click here. |
