News - News releases
October 9, 2008
Lighten Up Lancaster County Coalition Engages in Statewide Movement for Healthy Living
Coalition aims to reduce County's obesity rates by engaging youth and families in healthy eating and active living
Hershey, Pa. – On Tuesday, October 7, the Lighten Up Lancaster County Coalition formally announced its adoption of the statewide movement: nrgBalance™ - make healthy easy. Surrounded by Lancaster County school personnel, health care providers, local health leaders and community recreation professionals, Allison Topper, Executive Director of Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition & Activity (PANA), originators of the movement, applauded the Coalition's commitment to providing county residents with easy, low-cost options to eat healthy and be active.
During her keynote address, Topper explained, "Reversing trends in the prevalence of obesity and related conditions will require changing social norms, much like the evolution of tobacco and second hand smoke. By rallying behind a common cause for nrgBalance, Lancaster County families, schools, and community organizations serve as a model for the rest of the state."
The nrgBalance movement targets youth and their families with initiatives, campaigns and events that promote healthy eating and active living. Over the next several months, the Coalition will promote nrgBalance's five recommended daily guidelines for healthy living: one or more hours of physical activity; two or less hours of screen time; three meals a day; four or more cups of water or low/no-calorie beverages and five fruits and vegetables. These guidelines are based on a supplement published in December 2007 by Pediatrics.
To begin integrating the nrgBalance message into the daily routines of Lancaster County residents, the Coalition is issuing a challenge to all residents to "take steps toward a healthier way of life" by participating in America on the Move. A free, six-week physical activity program, America on the Move is a county-wide effort aimed at motivating people to increase their levels of physical activity.
According to the Lancaster County Health Profile 2007, 62 percent of Lancaster County residents are overweight (Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Health Statistics and Research). Research has found that women who exercise for at least three hours a week cut their risk of coronary heart disease by 30 - 40 percent; while a study of 21,000 men found that men who exercised to sweat at least once a week were 24 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, while men who exercised two - four times per week reduced their risk even further to 39 percent (Heart & Diabetes Research Institute, 2006).
Lancaster County residents interested in achieving one or more hours of physical activity per day can register to participate in Lancaster County's America on the Move challenge at www.lancastergeneralhealth.org/ or by calling 717.544.3878.
The six week program began on October 4; however, residents can still take part in the challenge by joining on their own or teaming up with others from their workplace, school, place of worship or other social group. Tracking steps can be done online (Lancaster County library members are permitted to use library computers to access their personal tracking log) or paper tracking is available by calling 717.544.3873.
Lighten Up Lancaster County is a coalition established in 2007 to address the growing problem of obesity in Lancaster County through education, advocacy and support of health, exercise and nutrition programs. The goal of the group is to increase the number of adults and children who are at a healthy weight. For more information, please visit http://www.lancastergeneralhealth.org/.
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Since 2003, Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity have worked
collectively to make it easier to be healthy in the places where we live, learn, work
and play. By bringing together health and wellness champions at the local,
regional and state level, the network is changing environments to support healthy
eating and physical activity options. For more information about PANA's
programs, campaigns and events, please visit www.nrgbalance.org.
“The stellar interaction between the Center and administrators at six PA public schools led to a very successful week-long health ride. I enjoyed working with the Center and would highly recommend them as partners in any future projects.”
