ProMedica Health System to tackle northwest Ohio’s and southeast Michigan’s obesity problems

Toledo, Ohio-based ProMedica Health System (PHS) will launch the second year of a health and wellness initiative called Fields of Green to address northwest Ohio’s and southeast Michigan’s obesity problem. According to the 2009 Ohio Family Health Survey, conducted by Macro International, approximately 500,000 children and 5.5 million adults in Ohio are overweight or obese, which exceeds national targets.

In 2009-2010, Fields of Green will introduce two new programs to raise awareness about the importance of good nutrition and exercise. The first is a program for high school students to compete for $5,000 college scholarships. Students must be in grades 10-12 and live within PHS’ 27-county service area. Participants will be asked to develop a health and fitness program with age-appropriate physical activities for elementary school children, including healthy snack options and health information. Winning entries will be implemented in local elementary schools.

Another program called the Healthy Kids Conversation Map ® Program will be led by PHS employees trained to teach a series of 30-minute interactive sessions in various community settings, focusing on establishing healthy nutrition and exercise habits. Conversation Maps were created by Chicago-based Healthy Interactives, Inc. for an elementary school audience, as well as for their parents and caregivers.

PHS President and Chief Operating Officer Randy Oostra states, “As a leading health care provider in northwest Ohio, we feel that our role in encouraging healthy lifestyles, solid nutrition and good exercise habits will have a lasting positive effect on those individuals and families we are privileged to serve. We want Fields of Green, along with our other health and wellness programs, to be part of a journey that leads to healthier kids and families.”

PHS launched its Fields of Green initiative in 2008 which also included the following programs:

• Lunch 101: Food for Thought – scholarship contest for high school students, which involved developing a healthy and economical elementary school lunch program.
• Hydroponic garden – a pilot project launched at PHS’ Flower Hospital in Sylvania, Ohio, to demonstrate a unique way to grow a garden in an urban setting. The project led to the creation of eight other vertical gardens throughout underserved areas of Toledo.

Future Fields of Green programs may also include a mobile farmers market to travel to various underserved areas of northwest Ohio and the opening of an interactive learning lab where children and adults can learn more about how fresh fruits and vegetables are grown.

http://www.promedica.org/