In November 2008, Huntington was named the nation’s unhealthiest city. In part one of a three-part series, HQ asks local experts to weigh in on health and wellness issues in the area and programs designed to address them.
By Katrina Mallioux
HQ 67 | WINTER/SPRING 2009
In recent months, the Tri-State region has received a great deal of national attention stemming from an October 2008 Associated Press article naming Huntington the “fattest” and “unhealthiest” city in America. Despite the fact that the article did not focus solely on Huntington, but instead factored in five counties (four of which are rural) in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio, the news is still alarming.
“There is no doubt we have a problem,” says Shannon Smith-Maxey, M.D., a pediatrician at Valley Health Services in Huntington. “But instead of focusing on the negative, let’s focus on what we can do as a community, beginning with the education of our children and their families. And educating our community on the downfalls of fast-food and lack of exercise is only the beginning. I’m amazed at the parents who bring their overweight children to my office toting their own McDonald’s bag. When I question them about healthy food choices, they often say, ‘I eat fast food often because of my job, but I won’t let my kid eat it.’ What they don’t understand is children learn by example.”
West Virginia currently ranks second in the nation for overweight children with 21 percent categorized as overweight, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. With terms like “super-size,” “grande” and “all-you-can-eat” featured on menus of many of the national fast food chains, it’s not surprising that the impact is showing up on America’s waistline. In the 2004 documentary film, Super-Size Me, West Virginia native Morgan Spurlock follows a McDonald’s only diet for 30 days, sampling every item on the menu at least once. He “super-sized” his meal every time he was asked and gained nearly 25 pounds. He experienced liver damage and other negative physiological symptoms.
“It is a telling story when the top employers in the area are hospitals and restaurants. We are eating ourselves sick,” says Terri Norris, a registered dietitian at. St. Mary’s Medical Center. “Most people who are overweight or obese know their weight is a problem. Economics plays a huge role for those making food choices in our area. How do I persuade a single mother raising three children on a limited income to purchase higher-priced fruits and vegetables? I show her data supporting that eating a healthy diet focused around fresh and non-processed foods will help her avoid costly medications and healthcare in the future.” Some basic guidelines include shopping the perimeter of the store and staying out of the aisles as much as possible. “The perimeter of a grocery store typically begins with fresh fruits and vegetables, followed by grains, meats and dairy products,” says Norris. “Eating a clean, whole-food diet is a beginning step in winning the war on weight.”
St. Mary’s Medical Center is taking steps toward educating the community’s children with its innovative H.E.A.R.T. Program. The program provides screening for children in third through fifth grades in Cabell County for blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index (BMI). The program addresses health issues for children and their parents to increase awareness that heart disease and risk factors begin in childhood.
“Most recently the H.E.A.R.T. Program has offered a 12-week nutrition education and exercise program for children with at least two risk factors for heart disease called H.E.A.R.T. Champions,” says David Sheils, President of the St. Mary’s Medical Center Foundation. “Participants have been able to gain the skills needed to make healthy choices and incorporate daily exercise into their lifestyle. All of the children have benefited from the program including decreased cholesterol levels, improved blood pressure, decreased body fat, and improved fitness performance.”
Along with practicing sound eating principles, increased physical activity is a key component in achieving weight loss goals. The Huntington community offers a variety of opportunities for people to get fit. Cabell Huntington Hospital, the Huntington YMCA and WSAZ have partnered to conduct a 38-participant version of “Huntington’s Biggest Loser,” based on the popular television series. Several YMCA staff members will spend six months working with participants in meeting their weight-loss goals. “It’s just one of the many things the YMCA offers to help members of the community meet their health and fitness needs,” says YMCA Executive Director George Smailes.
The YMCA also offers a weight loss program developed by Dan Ritchie, Huntington YMCA Branch Director. The Weight Loss To Wellness Program is built around the science of exercise and nutrition. The 12-week program focuses on making the changes necessary to become a healthier person overall, not just on weight reduction. During this program, participants have their resting metabolic rate measured and are given a specific set of meal plans to follow which are developed by a registered dietician. An exercise routine is created by an exercise physiologist and implemented in one-on-one personal training sessions. All dietary intake and physical activity is logged into journals and evaluated each week for compliance and progress by the dietician and exercise physiologist.
On October 7, 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. The main idea behind the Guidelines is that regular physical activity over months and years can produce long-term health benefits. The Guidelines also recommend a total amount of activity per week that allows people to design their own way of meeting the Guidelines. Included in the report were major research findings about the health benefits of regular physical activity:
- Regular physical activity reduces the risk of many adverse health outcomes.
- Some physical activity is better than none.
- For most health outcomes, additional benefits occur as the amount of physical activity increases through higher intensity, greater frequency, and/or longer duration.
- Most health benefits occur with at least 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking. Additional benefits occur with more physical activity.
- Episodes of activity that are at least 10 minutes long count toward meeting the Guidelines.
- Both aerobic (endurance) and muscle-strengthening (resistance) physical activity are beneficial.
- Health benefits of physical activity occur for children and adolescents, middle-aged adults, older adults, and those in every studied racial and ethnic group.
- Health benefits of physical activity are attainable for people with disabilities.
- The benefits of physical activity outweigh the risks of injury and heart attack.
According to the Guidelines, adults should do a minimum of 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week by doing activities like brisk walking, ballroom dancing, or general gardening. Adults can choose combinations of moderate and vigorous intensity aerobic activity. Aerobic activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes, and preferably spread throughout the week. For additional and more extensive health benefits, adults should increase their aerobic physical activity to 5 hours a week of moderate-intensity or 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous-intensity activity. Additional health benefits are gained by engaging in physical activity beyond this amount. Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week to achieve the unique benefits of strengthening activities.
“Exercise doesn’t have to be expensive or require a lot of equipment. The simplest exercise is walking,” says Sabrina Conley, Health and Wellness Director at the Huntington YMCA.
Ritter Park provides beautiful scenery, including a rose garden and creek-side path for those who prefer being outdoors. Jeff’s Bike Shop in downtown Huntington offers daily group bike rides for novices to experts. A variety of fitness classes are offered not only at the YMCA, but at various locations throughout the Tri-State. Starting out, don’t throw yourself into a formal exercise program. Gradually work up to meeting the recommended guidelines for exercise, and set goals for yourself.
The most important thing is making exercise fun and enjoyable.
“The biggest mistake people make is jumping into a formalized program too quickly. Because you want to make exercise a lifetime commitment, the best approach is to begin slowly, starting at 20 minutes and building up from there,” says Conley.
