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Program
Title: HEALTHY
LIVING A-Z IMPACT PROGRAM
Theme: Increasing fruit and vegetable intake and improving
safe food handling practices to lower disease risk.
The Challenge: Diet related health conditions cost society an estimated $400 billion annually. This includes health expenditures and lost productivity resulting from illness and death. It is estimated that improved dietary behaviors might prevent at least 20% of the annual deaths from diet related health conditions. Encouraging increased fruit and vegetable consumption is a cost-effective approach to lowering disease risk and reducing health care costs. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of developing may diet related health conditions including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. However, according the Centers for Disease Control 80% of Oklahomans eat fewer than 5 fruit and vegetable servings per day. Added to the problem that Oklahomans are not eating enough fruits and vegetables are reports of occasional outbreaks of foodborne disease associated with fruits and vegetables. These reports threaten to overshadow the important dietary and medical role that fruits and vegetables play in ensuring good health. According to the Centers for Disease Control 20% of all traceable foodborne disease outbreaks result from improper handling in the home including poor sanitation, improper hygiene and cross contamination.
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ExtensionÕs Response: |
The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service ÒHealthy Living A-ZÓ Impact Program educates Oklahoman youth and adults on the 5-A-Day message (fruit and vegetable intake) and safe food handling techniques. The goal of the "Healthy Living A-Z" Impact Program is to encourage more Oklahomans, both youth and adults, to increase fruit and vegetable intake and practice safe food handling techniques thereby reducing the risk of diet related diseases. |
á Increase in fruit intake:
24% increase in consuming the recommended 2 fruit servings per day
Average number of fruit servings increased from 1.4 to 2.1 servings per day
á Increase in vegetable intake:
18% increase in consuming the recommended 3 vegetable servings per day
Average number of vegetable servings increased from 1.8 to 2.5 servings per day
In addition, statistically significant improvements in safe food handling practices were observed among Oklahomans, both youth and adults, who participated in the "Healthy Living A-Z" Impact Program including:
á 22% Increase in "hand washing" behavior score
á 17% Increase in "washing fresh fruits and vegetables" behavior score
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19% Increase in "using a separate cutting board
for fruits and vegetables to avoid cross contamination" behavior score
Statistically significant increases in eating new fruits or vegetables and trying new fruit or vegetable preparation methods were observed among Oklahomans, both youth and adults, who participated in the ÒHealthy Living A-Z
Impact Program including:
á 25% Increase in Òeating a new fruit or vegetable in the last two weeks
á 30% Increase in Òpreparing fruits or vegetables in a new way in the last two weeks
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Impact: |
Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption can have significant effects on improving health status and decreased risk particularly related to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer. Research indicates increasing fruit and vegetable consumption may lower disease rates 20 to 35%. In 2002 these cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer cost Oklahoma $4.8 billion annually. |
Date Posted: May
9, 2005
Contact:
Barbara
Brown, OCES Food Specialist Janice
Hermann, OCES Nutrition Ed Specialist Youmasu
Siewe
Coop
Ext.-FCS 321 HES, OSU Coop
Ext.-FCS 321 HES, OSU Coop
Ext.-FCS 321 HES, OSU
Stillwater,
OK 74078-6141 Stillwater,
OK 74078-6141 Stillwater,
OK 74078-6141
Phone:
405.744.6824 Phone:
405.744.6824 Phone:
405.744.6824
Fax:
405.744.3538 or 744.5506 Fax:
405.744.3538 or 744.5506 Fax:
405.744.3538 or 744.5506