Health promotion is about making it easier to make healthy choices.  Community Health Partners along with the Coalition for a Healthy Sioux County (www.healthysiouxcounty.org) are working to make Sioux County a healthy place to live, learn, work, and play.

Health promotion priorities for Sioux County include:

Nutrition

Why focus on nutrition?

• 8 out of 10 Sioux County adults report they eat fewer than 5 fruits and vegetables per day.
• Nearly 18 out of 100 Sioux County children eligible for WIC ages 2-5 are overweight or obese.
• Across Iowa, childhood obesity is a rising problem. (http://www.idph.state.ia.us/iowansfitforlife/common/pdf/bmi.pdf).

What can you do?

Put in place practices that promote good nutrition

At home

• Enjoy your food, but eat less
• Eat (and serve) smaller portions
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
• Make at least half your grains, whole grains
• Switch to fat free or low-fat (1%) milk
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks

At school

• Work to ensure that school cafeterias are designed to encourage children to choose healthier snacks and meals, including a free or reduced price lunch or breakfast
• Promote school gardens
• Promote farm-to-school programs and the incorporation of fresh food into school meal

At your workplace

• Join any existing workplace wellness programs
• Promote healthier options in vending machines (www.nems-v.com)
• Encourage your workplace to support breastfeeding (http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/promotion/employment.htm)

Resources

www.choosemyplate.gov

pick a better snack http://www.idph.state.ia.us/pickabettersnack/default.asp

Let’s Move – www.letsmove.org 

Physical Activity

• Why focus on physical activity?
• Only 78% of Sioux County adults report any leisure time physical activity.
• Physical activity is important for maintaining a healthy weight, for heart health, for reducing injuries, and mental health. 
• How much physical activity is needed? (http://www.healthysiouxcounty.org/active-living)
• Aim for 60 minutes of moderate-level activity, most days of the week if you are an adult age 18-64.
• for at least 1 hour (60 minutes) a day for children ages 6-17

What can you do?

•  Join a walking club.
• Promote the development of trails for walking and biking in your community.
• Conduct a walkability or bikability audit in your community. (link to Healthy Sioux County page)
• Walk or bike to work or to run errands.
• Promote physical education and recess in your local school.