January 19, 2016

Eat Healthy, Participate in Regular Physical Activity to Reduce Risk for Serious Health Conditions

Contact: Tiffani McDaniel, Public Information Officer
Media Desk: 407-665-3374 and 321-200-7805

Sanford, Fla.– The 21^st Annual Healthy Weight Week (January 18-24) is an important time to celebrate healthy diet-free living habits that last a lifetime and prevent eating and weight problems. In observance of Healthy Weight Week, the Florida Department of Health in Seminole County (DOH-Seminole) reminds residents to eat healthy and participate in regular physical activity to reduce risk for serious health conditions.

“To achieve and maintain a healthy weight participate in regular physical activity, eat nutritious foods, and balance the amount of calories consumed with number of calories your body uses,” said Dr. Swannie Jett, Health Officer for DOH-Seminole. “Staying in control of your weight contributes to good health now and as you age.”

Healthy Eating is important for all age levels. Starting with breastfeeding for infants, a lifetime of choosing nutrient dense food and beverages will contribute to lowering risk factors for many chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. The United States Department of Agriculture website www.choosemyplate.gov has information on menus, meal plans and healthy eating on a budget.

“It is important for parents to model healthful lifestyle behaviors for their children,” said Susan Mulligan, Public Health Nutrition Program Manager for DOH-Seminole. “When kids grow up in a family that makes healthy eating and physical activity a priority, they are more likely to continue those habits in adulthood.”

According to the 2015 County Health Rankings and Roadmap, approximately twenty-five percent of adults were obese in Seminole County. Maintaining an active lifestyle can have a positive impact on general health plus is related to stress reduction, increase in energy, enhanced concentration and sleep.

Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate, or 75 minutes of vigorous, physical activity each week. One-hundred and fifty minutes seems like a lot of time, but it’s not. That's 2 hours and 30 minutes, about the same amount of time you might spend watching a movie. The good news is that you can spread your activity out during the week, so you don't have to do it all at once. You can even break it up into smaller chunks of time during the day. It's about what works best for you, as long as you're doing physical activity at a moderate or vigorous effort for at least 10 minutes at a time.

For more information about physical activity guidelines for children and adults, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at www.cdc.gov/. Additional information can be found at DOH-Seminole’s website, www.seminolecohealth.com.

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