Summary:

Trailnet’s Healthy & Active Communities Initiative works to prevent obesity through policy implementation. This exciting initiative focuses at the policy-level to produce the farthest-reaching and longest-term solutions to the obesity epidemic. We are working with organizations and institutions throughout the St. Louis region to develop and implement policies promoting Active Living and Healthy Nutrition in four low-income communities most vulnerable to developing obesity. We are working with community leaders and stakeholders to develop a holistic approach including policy, education, programming, community planning, social marketing and physical projects that support healthy and active lifestyles. Our goal is to create community environments that encourage people to be healthy and active.

Obesity rates have skyrocketed in Missouri in the last 20 years. In 1990, 11.9% of Missouri adults were obese; today, over 27% of Missouri adults are obese. As a result, rates of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and respiratory disease have sharply increased, resulting in lower quality of life for Missourians and enormous medical costs to individuals and governments.
Download powerpoint presentation showing U.S. Obesity Trends 1985–2006 (25 slides total, PPT-1.24Mb)
(Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System)

Additionally, over 50% of Missouri adults and 36% of adolescents do not achieve the recommended amount of daily physical activity and 80% of Missouri adults and 82% of adolescents do not eat the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
(Source: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Obesity Burden Report).

Policy level changes are needed at all levels to address these issues and national health experts agree emphasizing the need for policies that promote physical activity, discourage sedentary lifestyles and promote healthy foods.
(Source: AP/Washington Post, 6/16/06 and New England Journal of Medicine, 6/15/06 from www.rwjf.org).

* Grace Hill Settlement House
* The St. Louis County Dept of Health
* The St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation
* The US Green Building Council
* Whittaker Homes

Funding for this project was provided in part by The Missouri Foundation for Health. The Missouri Foundation for Health is a philanthropic organization whose vision is to improve the health of the people in the communities it serves.

Adventures in Media: Making and Creating through Radio, TV, and Photography - June 2007

Photo courtesy The Urban Studio

The Adventures in Media teen summer program was held June 18 - 29, based out of The Urban Studio in Old North St. Louis. This Camp was an exciting, field-trip based exploration of food and nutrition through TV, radio and photography designed for 13 - 16 year-olds. Teen participants took field-trips to the KDHX radio and TV stations, New Roots Urban Farm, a local convenience store and a supermarket. Throughout the program the participants also created their own media by writing, directing, and performing in skits and music videos, designing posters that will be displayed at the North City Farmers Market, creating daily blog entries at theurbanstudio.blogspot.com, and making a video posted to Youtube.

This program encouraged and equipped participants to think critically about how the media affects their food choices and provided them with tools to make healthier food and lifestyle choices. At the conclusion of the two-week program, teen participants noted that they had learned about portion sizes and healthier food choices and some had even changed their eating habits already! They also said that they now thought differently about food advertising, noting that fast-food companies were most interested in their own financial gain and not the health of their customers.

This program was funded by a one-time grant from the United Way of Greater St. Louis and partners included KDHX community radio/tv, New Roots Urban Farm and The Urban Studio.

Trailnet’s Phil Valko named as Chair of Healthy Youth Partnership, Policy Committee - May 2007
The Healthy Youth Partnership (HYP) is a coalition of organizations and individuals that provide services to promote and nurture youth health and wellness in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. HYP’s focus is promoting healthy living through nutrition education and physical fitness to address childhood overweight and obesity. Learn more about the Healthy Youth Partnership at healthyyouthpartnership.org

Check out more Healthy & Active Communities latest news on our blog at trailnetstl.blogspot.com