Everywhere you turn these days there’s a new fad diet guaranteed
to strip off those extra pounds or an exercise regime assured to
give you the body of a movie star.
Hollister – Everywhere you turn these days there’s a new fad diet guaranteed to strip off those extra pounds or an exercise regime assured to give you the body of a movie star.
But the San Benito County Public Health Department, in association with the American Public Health Association, is working on championing the basics of good health through National Public Health Week starting April 4.
This year’s focus is on senior health, the motto being “Live Stronger Longer,” said county public health director Dr. Elizabeth Falade. Americans’ life expectancy has increased, but people aren’t necessarily living a longer healthier life, she said.
“We’re trying to get prevention back in the forefront,” Falade said. “We want to get people thinking about things they can do in their everyday life and throughout the year.”
While San Benito County isn’t hosting any events to celebrate public health week, Falade said it’s important residents, especially seniors and children, understand the importance of healthy living.
Currently there’s a national obesity and diabetes epidemic, and San Benito is no stranger to the affliction caused by unhealthy eating and a sedentary lifestyle, Falade said.
“We all recognize that it’s going to take a whole lot of different interest by a whole lot of different groups of people to change the risk factors for obesity (and diabetes),” Falade said. “We’re taking the first steps toward a communitywide effort to combat it.”
Encouraging seniors to exercise, no matter how low-impact the activity, is imperative as the life expectancy continues to increase, said Pauline Valdivia, director of the senior center Jovenes De Antano.
However, most marketing campaigns in the media and health organizations target adults and children and seniors are often forgotten, Valdivia said.
“It’s one of the things that needs to be done more,” she said. “A lot of seniors still want to be active but they can’t because they have mobility problems, but even with mobility problems exercise is possible.”
Seniors can participate in very low-impact cardiovascular activities, walk and even do exercises while sitting in a chair to keep healthy, she said.
And for all people, young and old, putting just a little more physical activity into your daily life can get you on the road to a healthier lifestyle, Falade said.
By walking to lunch, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and setting small goals to get healthier are easy ways to incorporate exercise into your life, she said.
“There isn’t a one-size fits all solution,” Falade said. “People hear health messages but they have to be motivated to make the change.”
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected]
