The Get Healthy Guilford Challenge is brought to you by the following sponsors:
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Welcome to the Get Healthy Guilford Challenge |
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Get Healthy Guilford, Guilford County’s obesity prevention organization, is composed of about 100 community members from over 50 different organizations working together to make it easier for citizens to daily make healthy eating choices and engage in physical activity. The United Way of Greensboro’s 2004 needs assessment identified obesity reduction/prevention and physical fitness as one of the top problems in our community. As a result, the Weaver Foundation hosted a forum Fall 2005 to encourage organizations to discuss those issues, and the YMCAs and YWCAs of Greensboro and High Point, as well as Guilford County Department of Public Health and Moses Cone~Wesley Long Community Health Foundation (MCWLCHF) agreed to lead the obesity prevention and physical fitness effort. The MCWLCH Foundation gave $15,000 to the YMCA to plan and study the problem and in Fall 2007, gave a second $85,000 grant to establish a coalition and perform a study conducted by the Health Department.
In January 2007 the YMCA hosted an “Obesity Summit” with about 60 Guilford County leaders representing a wide range of organizations to kick off the county’s “Mayors’ Challenge” to gain attention for the problem and inspire people to “eat smart and move more” daily. The leaders at the summit agreed to send staff to monthly meeting to form a coalition to impact our county and help reverse the trend of overweight, obesity, and related health problems. Approximately 50 organizations have attended the meetings so far. Get Healthy Guilford has identified nine domains of focus and formed work groups addressing four of the domains (Schools, Worksites, Access to Healthy Food, and Social Marketing). The results of our Health Department “Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey” were shared in Fall 2007 showing the attitudes and reported behaviors of participants that will help us plan our actions and messages. In October 2007 the YMCA received a grant from MCWLCH Foundation in the amount of $494,000 over three years to support the Get Healthy Guilford coalition development including hiring a full-time coalition director and part-time graduate assistants. The coalition is also writing grant proposals for initiatives for worksite wellness, healthy foods, as well as for interventions being developed by the four work groups. The coalition has hired a director and all are busy planning 2008 activities including the “Get Healthy Guilford Challenge” as a follow up to the 2007 activities.
From January to April 2007 eight mayors participated in Get Healthy Guilford’s 2007 “Mayors’ Challenge: Lose 10 pounds in 10 Weeks,” designed to help people make a year-round lifestyle change of eating smart and moving more daily. All mayors lost at least 10 pounds and more than 750 citizens joined the effort and lost almost 1500 pounds. The Greensboro News & Record covered the Challenge in several articles and their reporter also joined the challenge and published a blog on her experiences. The Wall Street Journal mentioned our effort as well in July of 2007. The effort raised public awareness and encouraged policy makers to consider access to healthy food and physical activity when making decisions and advocating for the health of our citizens. Obesity is a big problem and needs a concentrated, multi-faceted approach to help people make healthy choices to improve health and quality of life. By working together, Get Healthy Guilford coalition can help our citizens be healthier and decrease the problems associated with overweight and obesity.
Click here to see a list of our members for 2008.
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