Healthy Active
Klamath Coalition
Design for Healthy & Active Living in Klamath County
Meeting Minutes
Coalition
Meeting Minutes 4-3-08
Coalition
Meeting Minutes 1-10-08
Leadership
Minutes 8-27-07
Who are we?
Healthy Active Klamath Coalition is a partnership
of community members working together to improve the health of Klamath
County residents through the promotion of healthy eating and increased
physical activity. The coalition, formed in 2004, is part of a statewide
and national movement to address the epidemic of inactivity and poor
eating. We believe meaningful change can and should be generated at
the local level. We are committed to making "sticky" changes
that will last and affect a large number of residents. To accomplish
this we will create local policies, environments and a culture that
"make the healthy choice, the easy choice." Our prevention
efforts will result in less chronic disease such as obesity, diabetes
and heart disease; our efforts will also reduce health care costs and
improve the quality of life in Klamath County for generations to come.
Coalition members include representatives from Klamath County Health
Department,
Klamath Medical Clinic, City and County Schools, Merle West Medical
Center, OSU Extension Service, OHSU Nursing Program.
Why is the effort important?
Obesity has increased 103% in Oregon over
the last 14 years. 64% of Klamath County residents are overweight. Less
than 56% get enough exercise and only 17% eat enough fruits and vegetables.
Why? People have not become more
gluttonous or lazy nor has our gene pool changed. What has changed is
our environment; it has become "toxic" to healthy choices.
Physical movement has been engineered out of our lives and cheap low
nutrition foods are available everywhere
Our lifestyle is taking a toll and
it's only going to get worse unless we do something different. Local
physician relate tragic stories of adults and children dealing with
the impacts of obesity-both physical and mental. We all bear the cost
whether we're fat or not-25% of rising health care cost can be attributed
to obesity.
What are we doing?
" Working with local schools to change school policies that would
improve food choices offered in the cafeteria and vending machines.
" Increasing opportunities to be physically active, such as hosting
Healthy Active Challenge.
" Assisting businesses in establishing workplace wellness policies
and programs.
" Building collaborations with individuals, agencies and businesses
to increase awareness of the effects of inactivity and poor food choices.
How can you help?
" Join our coalition.
" Be a role model-eat smart & move more.
" Speak out in your school, place of work, church or other social
groups to ensure healthy choices are readily available.
For more information contact
Patty Case, MS, RD at OSU Extension
Service, 541-883-7131 or
e-mail patty.case@oregonstate.edu
Sue Schiess, RD at Klamath County Health Department, 541-883-4276,
or e-mail sschiess@co.klamath.or.us