The Opinion of the Pinnacle

Positive outcomes for health and wellness in San Benito
County
Two recent studies have pointed out some positive news for San
Benito County when it comes to health and wellness, but it is
important to keep the momentum going while also keeping in mind
that subjective studies aren’t necessarily solid science to live
by.
Positive outcomes for health and wellness in San Benito County

Two recent studies have pointed out some positive news for San Benito County when it comes to health and wellness, but it is important to keep the momentum going while also keeping in mind that subjective studies aren’t necessarily solid science to live by.

The recent studies emphasized a couple of interesting trends, though. One of them pointed to San Benito County’s middle school-age students as having above average health when compared with others in the state. Another study found that San Benito County ranked at or below other health districts statewide on four of six categories for mortality.

For the healthy students report, grades seven through nine in the area scored at or above the state average in a series of measurables such as aerobic capacity, body composition, abdomen strength, trunk extensor strength, upper body strength and flexibility. It is a good sign that local kids are at least hanging in there with the rest of the state, but there sure is a lot of room for improvement here as well.

For fifth-graders, just 23.3 percent of the students met the requirements in all six categories, and that was more than 5 percent below the state average. The best number locally was for ninth-graders at 40.6 percent, 2 percent above the state average.

And despite the relatively strong mortality numbers as reported at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital, its rates actually increased in four of those six categories year-to-year, so it is a classic case of a moving target.

But overall, the good news is reflective of many efforts by local organizations over the past five or six years to improve health habits of San Benito County residents, particularly youths. Some noble examples of those efforts include healthy eating programs at the schools, the San Benito Bounty organization run by Nantz and Tim Foley with the Harvest of the Month Club, an array of community gardens, and the healthy meals prepared by the Sí, Se Puede Learning Center.

It is ideal to start with such healthy habits as early as possible, and targeting the children of the community should go a long way toward sustaining a thriving and productive culture. The topic as a whole is another reminder, too, about the importance of physical education programs in schools and the crucial role that health education can play for all ages of residents.

It is important, meanwhile, to keep in mind the subjectivity of such studies. After all, San Benito County in recent years has been voted one of the most obese areas for children, and the Associated Press recently did a study ranking San Benito as No. 5 – that’s in the nation – among the most economically stressed counties.