Michigan Steps Up
“Move more. Eat better. Don't Smoke. It's that simple.”
That statement is the crux of a statewide movement spearheaded by Michigan's Surgeon General, Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom. This new public health campaign entitled “Michigan Steps Up” will enlist the help of government, businesses, healthcare, schools, grassroots organizations and the faith-based community to share resources and spread the word about Michigan's current health crisis:
- Michigan's children are among the most inactive, sedentary and overweight in the nation.
- Almost two out of every three Michigan residents are overweight or obese and the number with Type 2 diabetes is rising at an alarming rate.
- 77 percent of Michigan adults and 82 percent of students eat fewer than the recommended five servings of fruit and vegetables a day.
- Over 70 percent of health care costs in Michigan can be directly attributed to chronic disease caused by unhealthy lifestyle choices, like smoking.
- Tobacco use among Michigan residents is higher than the national average, with about 15,000 deaths expected this year as a result of tobacco use. Exposure to secondhand smoke will kill another 1,800 children and adults.
Source: The Michigan Surgeon General's Prescription for a Healthier Michigan, Kimberlydawn Wisdom, M.D.
“We need to take personal responsibility for our own health,” Dr. Wisdom stresses. “We also need the support of our work environments, schools and communities to dispel health myths, provide correct information, develop supportive policies and provide incentives for helping individuals and families maintain their own health.” To that end, the Surgeon General and key officials from the Michigan Department of Community Health have met with thousands of community leaders across the state, to enlist their support. They've launched an advertising campaign and a website (michiganstepsup.org) to underscore the health education effort.
“The main idea behind Michigan Steps Up is if we try to better control the risk factors for chronic diseases, we can prevent and control those diseases,” Dr. Wisdom says. Personally, the Surgeon General packs a pedometer to ensure she gets enough physical activity every day. “By targeting this information to many different stakeholders, such as faith-based communities, the workplace and schools, we hope to achieve our goal of a healthier Michigan. Part of the notion is to create a social movement where it's unacceptable to not be physically active, where it's not cool to make unhealthy lifestyle choices. You could hear the message on the job or children will bring it home from school. We don't care what door you come through, as long as you get motivated. The momentum is to 'move more, eat better and don't smoke' but we will also encourage each stakeholder to provide the tools to make it happen.”
For example, a church congregation can organize a five-mile health walk to raise money for a worthy cause. An employer could provide on-site classes for diabetes management or smoking cessation. According to Michigan's Surgeon General, “We need to create a new environment of support for a healthy lifestyle, including specific school physical education policies. We know the science. We have the reports. Now, we must take action. Financial incentives in the workplace, such as lower health insurance premiums have also proven to be effective. It's an optimistic, multifaceted approach. I believe we can change our direction with new education partnerships and personal health commitments.”
Do!
“Do. Groove your body for ten minutes, three times a day.” The “grooving” can take the form of a simple walk, taking the stairs instead of an elevator, making a snow fort with your kids, cleaning house or mowing the lawn. Akin to a famed sneaker ad campaign that also encouraged physical fitness, this short but sweet motivational tool is the brainchild of a Minnesota affiliate of the American Heart Association (AHA). The “do” message (as seen on the website Do-groove.com) is moving into Southwest Michigan's consciousness thanks to Sarah Poole, Heart and Stroke Initiatives Director of the Greater Midwest AHA. “Many people have not yet realized that exercising only ten minutes, three times a day can significantly decrease their risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes,” Poole points out.
Cardiovascular disease and stroke are the number one cause of death in Michigan. Statewide, almost 35,000 people died from heart disease or stroke in 2002. “The 'do' message reminds people that they can be physically active without joining a gym, buying expensive equipment or setting aside an hour each day to walk,” Poole stresses. “Anyone can find a way to move their body three times a day for ten minutes at a time and they've reached the minimum movement requirement. It could be gardening, playing catch with your grandkids or making snow angels in the winter. The American Diabetes Association, the American Cancer Society and the AHA are all working together to encourage people to be more active, for their physical and emotional health.”
The “do” campaign uses humor to encourage people to find opportunities to move. Their most popular slogan may be found on a poster placed inside or near elevators: “Avoid awkward silences. Next time, take the stairs.” Another prompts a chuckle with: “Cavemen had no cars, no escalators, no love handles.” “We hope this campaign will prompt people to literally rise to the challenge and get off the couch,” Poole adds. “It reminds them to incorporate more physical activity into things they are already doing. For instance, instead of watching TV after dinner with your kids, go outside and shoot some hoops in the driveway. Don't park in the closest space near the grocery store or in front of the mall. Challenge yourself and park at the back of the parking lot. Take small steps to add activity. You have to mow your lawn anyway, why not use a push mower instead of a riding tractor?”
“Practice random acts of snow shoveling,” reads another “Do” poster. “Help your neighbor and get more physical activity,” suggests Sarah Poole. “If you're raking leaves or sweeping off the sidewalk, go do your neighbor's yard or sidewalk, too.” The AHA hopes to enlist the help of businesses, libraries and other health organizations to disseminate the need to “do.” Posters, bookmarks and other advertising will be aimed at influencing people “at the point of decision,” says Poole. “Maybe they will take the stairs instead of the elevator.”
Can't “Argue” With Fitness
Becky Argue is a personal fitness trainer at Bronson Athletic Club and a health/wellness instructor at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Argue has also worked as a nutrition educator for the MSU Extension program and was involved with the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports. “At the college age level, I see lack of good nutrition and very little activity,” Argue states. “The majority are out on their own for the first time. They were raised on pre-packaged, boxed or processed foods and have no idea how to structure a healthy lifestyle. We need to do more to educate them about food choices. In a society where many of us are overworked, overstressed and don't have enough time, the first thing we do is head for take out and convenience foods. We overeat and we don't get enough exercise.”
Check out these stats behind our couch potato epidemic:
- Michigan has ranked in the top 10 states for obesity for over a decade.
- 62 percent of our adult population in Michigan is obese or overweight.
- 74 percent of Michigan high school students and 53 percent of adults do not get the recommended 30 minutes or more of physical activity each day, five days per week.
- 24 percent of Michigan's adults do not engage in any leisure time physical activity.
Source: The Michigan Surgeon General's Prescription for a Healthier Michigan, Kimberlydawn Wisdom, M.D.
“We are killing ourselves and our children - emotionally and physically - by eating the wrong things,” Becky Argue states. “Being overweight affects our health and self-esteem. Why do we dip our apple slices in caramel sauce and raw carrots into ranch dressing? Why are we dunking cheese-stuffed pizza crusts into clarified butter sauces? I get chest pains just talking about it,” she quips. “My basic classes at KVCC focus on teaching young people about flexibility, muscle strength, what to eat to ensure a healthy heart and raising their awareness of the emotional aspects of wellness,” Argue notes. “I try to give them tools that will last a lifetime.”
Take the Challenge: Step Up! do!
It's a real challenge. Pay attention. Make changes. Encourage your friends, co-workers and family members. Log on to these websites:
Simple, effective messages. Make them your mantra. Step up. do.
