Monterey County must watch its waistline

According to a study published in 2005 by the California Diabetes Program titled “Diabetes in California Counties: Prevalence, Risk Factors and Resources,” Monterey County is tipping the scales, and not in a good way.

The county ranked 51st out of 59 counties in terms of percent of the population that is overweight (61.78 percent), ranked 48th in obesity (24.99 percent), and ranked 42nd in inactivity (74.35 percent, defined as less than 20 minutes vigorous activity three times a week).

Scoring so poorly in these three major risk factors means our friends, family, neighbors and co-workers are at significant risk of becoming afflicted with diabetes. However, Monterey County ranks 4th in the percentage of our population that consumes less than five servings per day of fruits and vegetables. This means the residents of 55 other California counties have larger percentages of their populations that eat worse than we do. It might help that we live in the Salad Bowl of the World. Unfortunately, this high-ranking score doesn’t mean we’re doing well with our diets. That ranking equates to 43.25 percent who eat fewer than five servings per day of fruits and vegetables – that’s a lot of people eating poorly.

The Alisal Union School District is doing its part to improve those statistics. Alisal is a partner in the Network for a Healthy California program, whose mission is to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables and the physical activity of students and their families. The program, branded Champions for Change, teaches students the importance of healthy eating and healthy living.

Champions for Change, according to the Web site www.cachampionsfor change.net, are people – just like you – who are using their power to help their families prevent serious health problems, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and certain types of cancer, by helping their families eat more fruits and vegetables and be more physically active.

Alisal’s Champions for Change program works with first-grade through sixth-grade students. The goal is for students to learn about the benefits of fruits and vegetables and of physical activity so they will be able to make wiser choices, and to be exposed to fruits and vegetables they might not normally eat. Nutrition Educators meet with classes and present nutrition education, as well as cross-curricular lessons incorporating science, language arts, math, health, English language development and physical fitness.

For kindergarten and pre-kinder students, Alisal’s Champions for Change introduced a new character named “Frijolito,” who has become quite popular. All students taste new fruits and vegetables, and learn a variety of nutrition and health- related subjects, such as safe produce handling. They also cover topics such as the new food pyramid, portion control and nutrients.

At each of the 11 district schools, Champions for Change maintains a vegetable garden used to enhance nutrition education and provide a source of physical activity. Students work in the gardens, learning firsthand about food systems from planting to harvesting and preparation. Students can also visit the gardens during their lunch hour and after school. Occasionally, the students harvest enough produce to provide some to their school cafeteria salad bars. Local farmers visit the school gardens and teach students about agriculture, and sometimes take students on field trips to local commercial farms.

Alisal’s Champions for Change is always looking for volunteers and equipment donations for their gardens. To volunteer or donate, or for information about this worthwhile program, contact Petra Martinez, program coordinator, at 831-783-3395. Or online, visit www.alisal.org. Click: Departments/ Educational Services/Network for a Healthy California.

Another fantastic resource for physical activity is the Salinas Community YMCA. Y programs for youth and teens include: judo, karate, rock climbing, basketball, swim team, water polo, weight training, volleyball and much, much more. The Y has resources for adults as well, including a popular Twelve-Weeks to Fitness program, and classes for yoga, cycling, swimming, Pilates, step aerobics, basketball, volleyball, kick boxing, and so much more. Information, call 831-758-3811 or visit www.centralcoastymca.org.

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