Health officials target Fayette County needs
MILL RUN – Cooperation, not competition was the theme for a recent retreat sponsored by Steps to a Healthier PA- Fayette County. The retreat was held at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Barn.
Steps to a Healthier PA is part of a national program called Steps to a Healthier U.S. In 2004, Fayette County received a five-year grant to participate in the program, with additional support from the state Department of Health, the Southwest Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center and the Fayette County Community Health Improvement Partnership.
The main goal of the program is to reduce the number of cases of diabetes, asthma and obesity. The program also addresses factors such as nutrition, physical activity and tobacco use.
On a local level, goals include, collectively exploring and defining risk factors in schools and in the community, a spokesman for the program said.
“We only look to hospitals and to doctors for solutions to health problems,” Kelly Loomis, a registered dietician and project coordinator for Steps to a Healthier PA-Fayette County, said. “We need to work with other community partners to improve existing programs and to maximize the effectiveness of future programs.”
Loomis said there has been a decline in tobacco use, but there has been an increase in the cases of diabetes. The increase could be attributed to better diagnosis and to an actual increase in cases of diabetes, she said.
Some 12.5 percent, or approximately 12,000 country residents, are diabetic.
Obesity is another persistent problem in Fayette Cou-nty, said Loomis, with 68.5 percent, or roughly 80,000 residents, overweight. Just over 30,000 residents are considered obese.
“We have a battle on our hands,” Loomis said.
Programs will focus mainly on school-aged children and will be administered through local schools.
“There’s been a breakdown of neighborhoods,” Ben Neil, school health program coordinator for Steps to a Healthier PA-Fayette County, said. “The school is the best place to reach kids and to get their parents involved as well.”
Neil pointed out that parents play a powerful role in shaping the eating habits of their children. For this reason, parents should be proactive in modeling healthy lifestyles for their children, he said. Steps to a Healthier PA has worked with all six school districts in Fayette County to promote exercise programs and to ensure that there is a selection of healthy foods in the schools’ breakfast and lunch programs. Steps to a Healthier PA also has also established residency programs for school nurses so that nurses may get the most up-to-date information regarding diabetes and obesity.
Steps to a Healthier PA is promoting workplace outreach as well.
“Companies spend $93 million a year on obesity-related health problems,” Loomis said. “They spend an additional $56 million on smoking-related illnesses.”
Businesses can take simple steps to curb obesity among their employees, such as allowing them sufficient time during their lunch breaks to exercise, Loomis added.
Neil pointed out that employees should take personal responsibility for their eating habits.
“When you have a 15-minute break,” he said, “instead of heading for the vending machines, take a power walk,” Neil said.
Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, is promoting weight loss through its “biggest loser” contest, in which the person who loses the most weight within the allotted time wins a prize.
Participants in the retreat also held roundtable discussions to pinpoint the strengths and the weaknesses of existing wellness programs and to establish future goals.
The consensus was that Fayette County had a good infrastructure, including hospitals, churches and schools, to facilitate wellness programs. The problem is that these entities have their own programs, each of which promotes different messages, according to Artis Hall of the Pittsburgh office of the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
“These organizations need to work together to promote a consistent message,” Hall said.
Another problem is that Fayette County is composed primarily of small villages. John Hallas, park manager for Ohiopyle State Park, called for greater cooperation between health-care workers and municipal officials.
“These supervisors know everything about their constituents,” Hallas said.
Sandra Morris, administrative assistant for Steps to a Healthier PA, suggested that health event coordinators maintain a list of contacts so that people will know when and where events are taking place and publicize them.
Hallas pointed out that outdoor recreation is a vital part of fitness. He hopes that county government will do more to promote tourism.
“Ohiopyle has over 80 miles of trails,” he said. “Most of the people who come to the park are from out of state. The people in this county need to know that there is a resource in their own back yard.”
Morris noted that Point Marion is being revamped to become more “walkable.” She hopes other towns will follow suit.
Loomis said she hopes to hold more meetings in future to monitor the progress that county residents are making in regard to becoming healthier.