Idaho Physical Activity & Nutrition – Panhandle Health District

Combating the obesity epidemic in North Idaho.

Currently, more than one-third of adults in the U.S. are obese, and the number of obese children, ages 2-19, has more than tripled in the last three decades. The rise of childhood obesity rates will continue to have a major impact on the prevalence of adult obesity, as obesity in childhood and adolescence is a significant risk factor for obesity in adulthood.
Obesity is a public health concern that is associated with an increased risk for many serious health conditions. Obese children and adults are more likely to experience respiratory problems, joint problems, and psycho-social issues, in addition to the serious health conditions mentioned below:

• Coronary Heart Disease
• Hypertension
• Stroke
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Certain types of cancers
• Premature death

In response to these health issues surrounding obesity, education and intervention strategies are focused on reversing current trends. The Idaho Physical Activity and Nutrition Program (IPAN) program emphasizes environmental approaches that support and reinforce healthy behaviors, such as physical activity and nutrition, as outlined by multiple Healthy People 2020 obesity and chronic disease objective areas.

In addition to the exciting efforts of IPAN, the Panhandle Health District serves as a member on the School Wellness Council for the Plummer-Worley School District.

Let’s Move! CDA

In 2014, the City of Coeur d’Alene Mayor, Steve Widmyer, and the Coeur d’Alene City Council committed to participating in the Let’s Move! Cities, Towns, and Counties (LMCTC), a key component of the comprehensive Let’s Move! initiative.

This initiative is dedicated to reversing the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation. The City of Coeur d’Alene became the 10th Let’s Move! city in Idaho. By adopting this initiative, Let’s Move! CDA committed to five goals to help improve nutrition and physical activity habits in our youth and community. In 2015, having completed the five goals, Coeur d’Alene became a “Gold Medal LMCTC City,” one of only 99 U.S. cities to receive the gold medal standing.

The five goals include:

o Goal I: Start Early, Start Smart – helping early care and education program providers incorporate best practices for nutrition, physical activity, and screen time reduction into their programs.
o Goal II: MyPlate, Your Place – displaying MyPlate in municipally-owned or operated venues that offer or sell food/beverages.
o Goal III: Smart Servings for Students – providing healthy food to children and youth by expanding access to meal programs before, during, and after the school day, and/or over the summer months.
o Goal IV: Model Food Service – implementing healthy and sustainable food guidelines in municipally-owned or operated venues.
o Goal V: Active Kids at Play – promoting access to play and physical activity.

To learn more about Let’s Move! Cities, Towns, and Counties and the five goals visit: www.healthycommunitieshealthyfuture.or

Let’s Move! Childcare

Panhandle Health District works with child care providers and early educators, through Let’s Move! Child Care (LMCC), to improve nutrition and physical activity practices and policies when caring for children.
This is accomplished through a collaboration with IdahoSTARS to provide free Let’s Move! Child Care training and resources to teach providers how to incorporate healthy nutrition and physical activity into the child care program and by assisting participating sites with a self-assessment and corresponding quality improvement goals to help aid in the fight for childhood obesity.

Let’s Move! Child Care focuses on five goals:

1. Nurture Healthy Eaters
2. Provide Healthy Beverages
3. Get Kids Moving
4. Reduce Screen Time
5. Support Breastfeeding

Once providers have made significant improvement toward meeting these goals, they will become recognized as an LMCC provider.

Helpful Provider Resources:

Childcare Resource Center at Panhandle Health
Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children
Idaho STARS
Zero to Three

Worksite Wellness

Panhandle Health District works with local worksites to complete the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Worksite Health Scorecard, an assessment that may identify gaps in their current health promotion/wellness programs in areas such as: maintaining a healthy weight, physical activity, nutrition, and lactation support for nursing mothers.

Panhandle Health District then provides assistance in creating goals and implementing action plans to help worksites to improve their wellness practices and policies. We can provide expertise and refer you to other programs, including Tobacco Cessation and Diabetes Prevention programs.

Panhandle Health District also promotes participation in the National Healthy Worksite Program (NHWP) at these worksites and provides technical assistance, as needed. The NHWP is designed to aid employers in implementing a worksite wellness program, through provided evidence-based resources and tools.

These resources are provided at no cost to you.

Contact

Tina Ghirarduzzi, Program Manager
Email: tghirarduzzi@phd1.idaho.gov
Phone: (208) 415-5140
Address: 8500 N. Atlas Rd. Hayden, ID 83835