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Healthy Kids State, Local Partners Kick Off Healthy Kids Initiative in Las Cruces
Post Date: April 15, 2008
Department of Health Leads Obesity Prevention Project
(Las Cruces) – Students at Conlee Elementary School today walked to school, ate a healthy breakfast in their classroom, attended healthy cooking and tasting demonstrations and participated in physical education. The specially scheduled activities were a part of a kickoff celebration and represent the vision of Healthy Kids – Las Cruces a community wide obesity prevention project in Las Cruces.
Health Secretary Dr. Alfredo Vigil joined the city of Las Cruces, Las Cruces Public Schools and several state government departments today to launch the obesity prevention pilot project in Las Cruces. Healthy Kids – Las Cruces connects and enhances community efforts to motivate children, teenagers and families to eat healthier and be more physically active.
As a part of the project, the Department of Health has hired a dietician and physical activity specialist in Las Cruces to provide individual and group counseling for people who are obese. “We are concerned about the rising rates of obesity in New Mexico and how that negatively affects people’s health,” Dr Vigil said. “This project is a tremendous effort by state partners and community leaders who embrace our vision of helping children lead healthier lives.”
The Department of Health is leading the pilot project. Stakeholders representing local and state government, education, health care, social services, agriculture, nonprofit organizations,foundations and businesses worked with the Department of Health to develop a five year vision,goals and action plans for the initiative. “This program will be extremely beneficial to our children, considering the fact that studies have shown if we don’t do something now, in 20 years one out of two children will be obese,” said Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima.
Healthy Kids – Las Cruces Goals include:
· Create a Safe Routes to School Program for all public elementary schools in Las Cruces by 2013.
· Increase opportunities for elementary students to participate in daily physical activity, learn about nutrition, healthy cooking and how to make healthy food choices.
· Increase availability of affordable and healthy food in restaurants, grocery stores and schools, especially for families with low incomes.
· Increase opportunities for patients to receive health care obesity prevention services.
· Conduct a public awareness campaign that motivates children and families to reduce the amount of soda and high sugar beverages they drink, eat more fruits and vegetables, be more physically active and not watch television as much.
· Create an interactive website that provides information to motivate families to lead healthy lifestyles.
“A child’s health has a direct relationship to his or her educational success,” said Stan Rounds, superintendent of Las Cruces Public Schools. “Healthy students learn better and, more importantly, they learn about nutrition and physical activities that will be used throughout their lifetimes. As the flagship school in this initiative, Conlee Elementary will lead the way in proving that healthy living is possible for children and families of all socioeconomic backgrounds.”
The eight state departments involved in the pilot project hosted healthy events for children and families in Las Cruces this week. Activities included healthy home cooking demonstration classes for clients at the New Mexico Human Services Department’s Income Support Division Office and field trips to Leesburg Dam State Park and Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park, part of the New Mexico State Park’s “Outdoor Classroom” initiative that promotes nature, physical activity and recreation.
“This partnership project will truly benefit New Mexico’s lower income families,” said Pamela Hyde, Human Services Department Secretary. “The healthy home cooking demonstration classes will show families served by the Human Services Department how to use their benefits to make healthier meals and lead healthier lives.”
Healthy Kids – Las Cruces is funded by a grant from the National Governor’s Association and supported by the New Mexico departments of Health, Human Services, Public Education, Aging and Longterm
Services, Children, Youth and Families, Agriculture, Parks and Transportation. Local partners are: city of Las Cruces, Las Cruces Public Schools, Doña Ana Cooperative Extension, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces Metropolitan Planning Organization, Envision New Mexico, Farm to Table, New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council, New Mexico American Heart Association, New Mexico Healthier Weight Council, Rio Grande Medical Group, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, New Mexico Ag in the Classroom, Families and Youth, Inc., Con Alma Health Foundation, La Clinica de Familia, Inc. and Healthy U Magazine.
At CYFD we work very hard to make sure our children are safe and healthy,” said CYFD Cabinet Secretary Dorian Dodson. “That’s why we’re excited to be introducing the Color me Healthy curriculum into child care centers beginning in May. The idea behind the program was to introduce children at an early age to new types of nutritious foods and to help them explore opportunities for physical activity that will become a habit for life. That is precisely the point of Healthy Kids – Las Cruces.”
Topics: Regional News |