Nutrition and Wellness

Ottawa County Wellness Coalition (OCWC)

OCWC is a collaboration of local agencies, hospitals, businesses, schools and other organizations within the community working to improve the health of Ottawa County communities. This is done using policy and environmental changes to increase residents’ access to healthy food choices, physical activity and tobacco-free living. Some examples include supporting farmer’s markets and the creation of walking paths and smoke-free environments. The OCWC Vision: Ottawa County residents making healthy choices regarding physical activity, healthy eating and tobacco-free living. The mission is to empower Ottawa County residents to adopt healthy, sustainable lifestyles.

Get Involved! Action Teams are groups responsible for carrying out the strategies of OCWC. They consist of individuals who take on tasks and work to accomplish them. Action Teams:

Meet monthly;
Develop action plans based on local data to improve the health environment of their local community;
Evaluate the effectiveness of their initiatives.

Northwest Action Team – Grand Haven, Ferrysburg and Spring Lake
http://www.gethealthyottawa.org/actionteams.asp#NW
Northeast Action Team – Allendale and Coopersville
http://www.gethealthyottawa.org/actionteams.asp#NE
Southwest Action Team – Holland and Zeeland
http://www.gethealthyottawa.org/actionteams.asp#SW
Southeast Action Team – Hudsonville and Jenison
http://www.gethealthyottawa.org/actionteams.asp#SE

To join your local Action Team please contact:

Northwest Jinnifer Gibbs (800) 764-4111, Ext. 8250 gibbsj@msu.edu		Northeast Kim Kooyers (616) 393-5799 kkooyers@miottawa.org
Southwest Barb Ver Cande 616.394.3604 bvercande@hollandhospital.org		Southeast Lisa Uganski 616.393.5770 luganski@miottawa.org

For more information visit the OCWC website.

Walk the Apple Trail Brochure
Coopersville Community Trails Brochure
NorthSide Pathway Brochure

Childhood Fitness – “Fit for A Kid”

The Ottawa County Health Department is involved in several community wide projects geared toward reducing childhood obesity. The “Fit for a Kid” project is a multifaceted approach to address childhood overweight and inactivity. The project includes a series of educational handouts created for local physicians to give to their patients who are at risk for obesity, an in-home intervention for families of children 0 -1 and a community intervention for families of children ages 2 - 5.

Body Mass Index Screenings

The “Fit for a Kid” committee conducted Body Mass Index screenings for elementary school aged children in Ottawa County. Overweight children and adolescents are at risk for health problems during their youth and as adults. Studies have shown that overweight youth are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes. They are also are more likely to become obese as adults. One study found that eight out of ten children who were overweight at age 10-15 years were obese adults at age 25. Another study found that one fourth of obese adults were overweight as children. The study also showed that if overweight begins before eight years of age, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe.

Ottawa County, like the rest of the nation, is faced with the challenge of reducing rates of obesity among children. Although it was suspected that local childhood obesity rates would follow national trends, until 2005, there was no information to verify this. During the 2004-2005 school year, the Ottawa County Health Department conducted a Body Mass Index screening. During this project, height and weight measurements were taken of approximately 2,600 pre-kindergarten, 3rd and 6th graders. The results of this screening found that 15% of the children tested were overweight and 17% were at risk for becoming overweight according to national standards.BMI screenings of 3rd graders were conducted again during the 2007-2008 school year. 1106 Ottawa County 3rd graders from 18 different schools were assessed for BMI. A total of 10.6% of the sampled students were classified as obese while an additional 13.5% were classified as overweight. The results of these screenings will be used to reinforce the need for further investigation and help to design programs for a community wide approach to addressing childhood obesity.

Resources

One of the best places to find out if your child is overweight or at risk for becoming obese is your family doctor. Ask for a Body Mass Index Screening at you child's next check-up. Your doctor can help you examine Body Mass Index (BMI) scores, family risk factors, and lifestyle to determine if your child is at risk. Even if your child is not overweight, it is important to encourage healthy eating and activity in every child. Teaching your child about healthy eating and the benefits of physical activity s something everyone can do. There is a great deal of information available on the internet, in books and in magazines. Regardless of the source, the keys are eating a variety of healthy, appropriately portioned foods and participating in physical activity. It sounds easy, right? We realize that finding healthy foods that your child will eat can be a struggle. Plus, finding affordable and safe opportunities for exercise can be difficult in an already busy lifestyle. This site will be continually updated with new opportunities for encouraging healthy eating and physical activity.

Click here to search for family friendly physical activity opportunities in Ottawa County.

Click here for more information on Ottawa County farmers markets.

“Fit for a Kid” information handouts

Designing Healthy Environments at Work (DHEW)

How healthy is your work environment? Do you provide healthy choices in the vending machine? Can you smoke on-site? Do your employees have access to physical activity?
Employee health and economic health go hand in hand. The “Designing Healthy Environments at Work” assessment is designed to help employers identify ways to create a healthier work environment. Ottawa County Health Educators are available to work with Ottawa County employers to conduct the assessment and to help develop an action plan to address the prioritized needs. To preview the assessment online go to www.mihealthtools.org/work.

Worksite Mini-Grants

The Ottawa County Health Department offers annual mini-grants to Ottawa County worksites that want to assess the health of their environment. Worksites will find out how well they support healthy eating, physical activity and tobacco-free living for their employees. Check back in the fall for more information, or contact :

Kim Kooyers, (616) 393-5799
Email: kkooyers@miottawa.org
-OR-
Lisa Uganski, (616) 393-5770
Email: luganski@miottawa.org

Healthy School Action Tool (HSAT)

The Healthy School Action Tool is a set of online tools to help Michigan schools create healthier environments. Schools that provide support healthy choices help students achieve their academic potential.

The HSAT assessment consists of questions which apply to topic areas including:

Asthma management
Healthy eating & nutrition
Physical education & physical activity
Tobacco-free lifestyles
In fall of 2007, the Violence and Injury prevention topic will be available.

Health educators are available to assist all Ottawa County schools in improving their school health environment. If you are interested in assessing your school’s health environment and would like assistance from an Ottawa County Health Educator, please contact Lisa at (616) 393-5770.