Health and Wellness Program

Welcome to the Health & Wellness Promotion section of the Bureau of Staff Development and Training’s website designed to provide some basic ongoing and timely nutrition and health information which can be helpful in adjusting your lifestyle to maintain and/or improve how you feel. The primary focus is to make available some reliable information to help you to both improve and maintain a healthier life.

Please consult the following resource, The Wellness Wire (newsletter) produced by the Department of Management Services which provides calendars of events hosted by providers of Florida State Group Insurance and tips to improve your health and emotional well-being on a monthly basis.  Issues are available from April 2013 to-date at the website  noted below:

http://www.dms.myflorida.com/workforce_operations/ state_group_insurance/the_wellness_wire

The principal section of the Health and Wellness Program will provide a featured article. Specific content will also be available under the main section by going to the following areas which you may want to pursue to gain a better understanding of the topic being presented.

Mental & Emotional Health Nutrition/Health/Wellness & You Perspectives on Women's Wellness

Featured Article

By Mark A. Mahoney, Ph.D., R.D.N.Research & Training Specialist

Physical activity, good nutrition means healthier kids, adults

To improve and maintain our health, few people recognize the singular importance of being physically active. Some of the more familiar effects of regular movement include: 

Lowering the risk of developing or dying from heart disease, stroke and diabetes Assisting us in the prevention of certain cancers,  Improving one’s mood.  Building bones, strengthening muscles and expanding lung capacity.  Reducing the risks of falls and fractures.  Preventing excessive weight gain.

Some 20 years ago the primary emphasis by preventive health experts was largely focused on the benefits of vigorous activity. The emphasis today has shifted to the benefits of sustained bouts of moderate movement. The latest physical activity guidelines published in 2008 recommend: 

Children and adolescents should do 60 minutes or more of physical activity daily to include aerobic, muscle and bone strengthening activities.Adults should do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous intensity aerobic activity.An Executive Summary and Key Messages are contained in a mid-course update to the 2008 physical activity guidelines which can be accessed at:

http://health.gov/paguidelines/midcourse/pag-executive-summary.pdf

Kids + increased physical activity/ better nutrition = healthier adults

A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted a slight decrease in the rates of obesity in low income pre-school children (2 to 4-year olds) between 2008 though 2011 in 19 of 43 states and territories studied.

The CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden noted that, “it’s encouraging but we have a lot further to go.“We hope this is the start of a trend getting us back into balance.” He credited this trend to efforts such as:  better policies in the government’s Women, Infants and Children program, as well as increases in breast feeding, recognition that children need to be active and eating a more healthful diet by reducing things like juices and increasing consumption of whole fruits and vegetables, and decreasing “sit-time” in front of the TV or computer. One cautionary note is that children are “five times more likely to be overweight or obese as an adult if they are overweight or obese between the ages of 3 and 5 years,” according to Dr. Frieden.

Those interested in more in-depth information including recommendations on what can be done to address childhood obesity can go to CDC Vital Signs at:

http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/childhoodobesity/.

Florida’s crisis Looking toward the future Florida’s number one public health threat is unhealthy weight. The statistics reveal that 65 percent of adults in Florida are at an unhealthy weight while one out of three kids is now considered overweight or obese. The Florida Department of Health has embarked on an initiative, Healthiest Weight Florida, a public private collaboration to address the issue of assisting Florida’s children and adults to make consistent, informed choices about healthy eating and active living. For more information, visit

http://www.healthiestweightflorida.com/

National picture 

A very detailed report, The State of Obesity, 2014 provides an in-depth look at the state of obesity in the United States and includes a section on increasing physical activity for children, before, during and after school. The report can be accessed at:

http://stateofobesity.org/files/stateofobesity2014.pdf

If we are to continue to see a decreasing trend in overweight and obese children, which, often leads to overweight/ obese adults, let’s all work together and focus on helping our kids maintain a physically active lifestyle along with modeling more appropriate nutritional habits.

Dr. Mahoney has been a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist for over 30 years. He completed graduate studies in public health at Columbia University.

Previous Articles

Obesity is a crisis in need of dialogue, action

Research documents the impact of tobacco litter on the environment

Looking toward the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Report

Melanoma awareness: Save skin from sun’s damaging rays

Sugar Consumption: Some Basic Facts for Improved Health and Wellness through Action for 2015

Welcoming in the New Year: Some Tips to Stick with a Fitness Program

Use of Body Mass Index (BMI) and the Role of Belly Fat: Complementary Measures

Hypertension - Sodium Intake: How to be a Savvy Consumer

Complementary Protein – A Healthful Addition to Our Diet & Planet

A Good Plate – Choosing Wisely

Eating Right for a Healthy Weight

Healthy Eating on the Run

Reducing Stress: The Role of Physical Activity