Finding your path toward healthier living
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Lancaster Road Runner Club members (left
to right) Joni Shirk, Steve Farrah and Karen
Sandt take a step toward healthier living by
running several times a week for at least 30
minutes each time. |
Over the past 30 years, obesity has become an epidemic. Obesity and being overweight have become major health threats in the United States for both adults and children.
“Our nation is facing one of the most serious public health problems in its history,” says Alice Yoder, RN, BSN, MSN, Director of Community Health at Lancaster General.
Lancaster General is taking action to make a difference by bringing together weight management and health information and offering local communities, schools and businesses easy access to this information.
“Our main concern is health, not appearance,” Alice says. “Healthy lifestyles are important for everyone, whether they are thin or overweight. Eating healthy, keeping active and managing stress are all vital.”
A key goal of the program is to raise people’s awareness about healthy living and to motivate them to learn more by sharing helpful resources and programs.
“Seeing the many health problems that come from obesity and being overweight is the reason why weight management and obesity prevention is a major focus area for Lancaster General,” Alice says.
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By Your Side
Cathy Newkirk
Wellness Educator
Donna Reinford
Health Educator
Cathy and Donna are by your
side, working with Lancaster
County employers to promote
healthy lifestyles with their
employees through initiatives
like weight management,
walking programs, stress
management, tobacco
cessation programs or
health screenings.
“Through many of our programs
I help people pursue healthier
lifestyles, which can help them
live longer and have a better
quality of life,” Cathy says.
“It’s exciting to see the
community’s increasing
interest in wellness.”
“My goal is to offer healthy
alternatives, help individuals
figure out which behaviors
might be most effective for
them and cheer them on,”
Donna adds. “It’s very
satisfying to connect with
someone ready to make
lifestyle changes.” |
People who are obese are at higher risk for:
- heart disease
- high blood pressure
- diabetes
- arthritis-related disabilities
- an increased number of cancers
“In order to avoid seeing children with a shorter average lifespan than their parents, we need to act now. Promoting regular physical activity and healthy eating and creating a setting that supports these behaviors are keys to solving the problem,” says Rosemary
Search, RN, BSN, Wellness Educator, who is helping lead Lancaster General’s healthy weight management program. “We can help people, schools and businesses develop programs and resources to promote healthy living.”
Tools now available include:
LancasterGeneral.org is a handy resource. Besides learning about upcoming classes and programs, you’ll find tools you can use like:
Lancaster General has been helping promote healthy weight management by working on wellness programs not only with its own employees, but also with local companies, school districts and healthcare providers.
For instance, Lancaster General’s Corporate Wellness team of Cathy Newkirk and Donna Reinford (see sidebar) can help businesses plan, implement and evaluate programs to help create a culture of wellness that is valued by their employees. Some programs include health fairs, screenings and educational presentations.
Wellness Center staff also partner with schools to educate parents, nurses and teachers about BMI. Besides providing education, the Wellness Center can follow-up with programs to help people make the changes they need.
“Lancaster General has made strides in efforts to fight the obesity epidemic, but there is much more to do,” Rosemary says.
In the future, Lancaster General plans to offer free and low-cost community programs to help encourage exercise and weight management.
“We want to make living healthy fun and hope that the community embraces our programs and gets involved,” Rosemary says.
To get started on the road to healthier living, call our Wellness Center at 544-3138, or visit our Web site at LancasterGeneral.org/wellness.
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10 small steps you can take to improve your health |
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1. Use fat-free milk instead of whole milk.
2. Do sit-ups in front of the TV.
3. Drink water before a meal.
4. Increase the fiber in your diet.
5. Eat off smaller plates. |
6. Grill, steam or bake instead of frying.
7. Keep to a regular eating schedule.
8. Choose fruit for dessert.
9. Park farther from destination and walk.
10.Try a green salad instead of fries. |
For a list of more than 100 small steps to improve your health,
click here. |
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Physical activity is an important component
of healthy living. |