Robin B. Landry

Louisiana has the sixth highest obesity rate for adults — and the fourth highest obesity rate for children — according to the State of Obesity report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. To combat this negative trend, the LSU AgCenter Healthy Communities Initiative employs a community-driven approach to increase knowledge about healthful lifestyles and generate positive behavior changes related to nutrition and physical activity.

While the program is at work in parishes across the state, the Get Fit Ba-You Healthy Communities Initiative in Assumption Parish is seeing its message reach both youth and adults. Students in the parish are gaining extra nutrition education, and a new walking path with signs touting the benefits of exercise was built with monetary help from community partners.

The ultimate goal of the program is to reduce obesity and to control or prevent chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke, among residents. Area nutrition agents are working with local agencies, organizations and communities across the state to build environments that help Louisiana citizens be healthy. The Healthy Communities Program engages the community in all aspects from planning and development to implementation through the use of community forums and work groups.

For the youth component of the Get Fit Ba-You initiative, nutrition lessons were adapted from a U.S. Department of Agriculture Team Nutrition curriculum, “Serving Up MyPlate,” and taught over a three-week period to middle school students. P.E. teachers delivered the adapted Team Nutrition lessons, which included information on the MyPlate food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy. Besides the technical material, students completed assignments by writing persuasive messages about healthful eating that were shared during morning announcements. They created challenges to encourage fellow students to try new, healthful foods they have never tried. During one lesson, they discussed how ads on television, the internet, food containers, newspapers and magazines can influence food choices.

Students also took part in food taste tests. They communicated what the food looks like, feels like when they hold it, smells like, tastes like and sounds like when they chew it. The curriculum encourages students to keep a food journal of what they eat, which can lead to changes in their diet and a more healthful eating pattern. It can help encourage portion control and better nutrition and help to identify triggers to unhealthy eating. Throughout the three weeks, parents received handouts that correlate to what the students were taught in the classroom and were encouraged to discuss the information with their child.

In the adult component of the Get Fit Ba-You initiative, a walking path at the community hospital was established through a series of partnerships and collaborations. The well-lighted walking path provides a safe environment for adults to be physically active. Signs were installed along the path explaining the benefits of exercise and warming up properly. The signs also explained the importance of staying hydrated and included diagrams of easy park bench exercises and instructions on how to check and monitor heart rate. The signs include a feature called “SNAP IT” that encourages walking path users to take a picture of the information on the signs with their cell phones so that they can read it at their convenience. Exercise equipment is also located along the path to encourage those using the path to incorporate strength training.

The LSU AgCenter has partnered with various groups to obtain grants totaling $70,000 to make the Get Fit Ba-You project successful. These partners include Assumption Community Hospital, Assumption Parish School Board, Assumption Parish Police Jury, Entergy and the LSU Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering.

Robin B. Landry is an area nutrition agent based in Assumption Parish.

(This article appears in the winter 2019 issue of Louisiana Agriculture.)

LSU AgCenter nutrition agent Robin Landry stands near a sign along the new walking path at Assumption Community Hospital in Napoleonville. Photo by Olivia McClure

Assumption Community Hospital employees on a break take advantage of the new walking path on the hospital’s grounds. Photo by Olivia McClure

Agriculture students from Assumption High School move benches they built into place beneath a shady oak tree, complementing the nearby walking path at Assumption Community Hospital in Napoleonville. Photo by Olivia McClure

Sign describing benefits of exercise along the new walking path at Assumption Community Hospital in Napoleonville. Photo by Olivia McClure