Tag Archives: Obesity

Physical Wellness

How to improve social wellness

Physical wellness includes:

  • A healthy body
  • Good physical health habits
  • Nutrition
  • Exercise
  • Appropriate health care

There are may ways to improve physical wellness such as choosing things that make our body feel good and trimming back the things that bring us down. We can also feel better by creating a routine that balances activity with inactivity, and that is manageable within our obligations and needs. Our body is intelligent, and learning to listen to it more deeply may be very important and empowering.

Following are some questions you can ask yourself and strategies that can help you improve your physical wellness. As you think about the questions and strategies, make a list of the things you will do and the things you may need to help achieve wellness in this area.

Questions related to nutrition
  • Do you have access to fresh, healthy food?
  • Are you in a position to eat at home so you can better track what you are putting into
  • your body?
  • Are you improving your diet by setting small goals for small changes each day, week, or
  • month?
Strategies related to nutrition
  • If you are pregnant, have delivered a baby within the past 6 months, are breastfeeding a child under age 1, or are the parent or guardian of a child under age 5 you may be eligible for nutrition education and assistance through SD WIC or other supplemental programs. 
  • Check out local food co-ops if one is in your area for good, affordable food.
  • Visit USDA’s My Plate or Food Pyramid.com.
  • Meet with dietitians and nutritionists if you need help, or try programs like Weight Watchers.
  • Explore self-help support groups and organizations, like TOPS or Overeaters Anonymous.
Questions related to physical activity
  • Are you getting regular physical activity whenever you can, and making it fun?
  • Have you been taking “shortcuts” to exercise, like parking further away from the store and taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator?
  • Have you identified your healthy Body Mass Index and begun working toward it, one day
  • at a time?
Strategies related to physical activity
  • Walking is one of the easiest ways to increase physical activity and you don’t have to exercise for hours to get immediate benefits– you just have to move more.
  • Join and visit local gyms, YMCAs, and fitness clubs, or join a neighborhood pool.
  • Look through fitness and other magazines for exercises you can do at home.
  • Check out free resources, such as YouTube, to learn how to do yoga or other exercises.
  • Search for tracking tools like myfitnesspal.com that will show how far you’ve come.
Questions related to sleep
  • Are you getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night whenever possible?
  • Are you avoiding exercise within a few hours of bedtime, as well as “screen time?”
  • Are you avoiding large meals before going to bed?
Strategies related to sleep
  • Try managing your routine to carve out time to rest and sleep, and cut back on caffeine.
  • Explore sleep tips from HealtySD,  CDC, and Mayo Clinic.
Questions related to alcohol, tobacco & other drugs
  • Have you tried tools that can help you cut down or quit using tobacco products, alcohol, or other drugs?
  • Are you reaching out to family or friends instead of using substances when you are going through a tough time?
  • Are you being mindful of triggers that make you want to use substances and do you have a plan that can help you avoid them?
Strategies related to alcohol, tobacco & other drugs
  • Call (1-866-SD-QUITS) or visit the SD Quitline for FREE coaching and cessation services.
  • Call the SD Resource Hotline (1-800-920-4343) or visit AvoidOpioidSD for information on services, treatment and support.
  • Find support groups and 12-step groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), in your community and attend meetings.
  • Consider engaging in hypnosis or acupuncture to curb the smoking habit.
Questions related to medication safety
  • Do you wear medical alert jewelry to help others help you?
  • Are you storing medications properly and reviewing the expiration dates?
  • Do you carry a list of your medications with you in case of emergency?
Strategies related to medication safety
Questions related to preventative medicine
  • Do you visit your doctor, dentist, or other health care provider for routine care and monitoring?
  • Do you know how to check your blood pressure, waist circumference, and blood sugar to prevent chronic conditions like diabetes?
Strategies related to preventative medicine
  • Discuss preventive health care with your doctor, dentist, or other health care provider.
  • Visit your local public health center and use HRSA Find AHelpCenter to find the closest location to you.
  • Consider seeing a holistic health provider or attending community health fairs.

Source: Creating A Healthier Life, A Step By Step Guide to Wellness
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) 
www.samhsa.gov

South Dakota Obesity Toolkit: A Clinical Toolkit for Healthcare Providers

The South Dakota Obesity Toolkit (2014 Revised Edition) has been provided by the South Dakota Department of Health and other partners to include credible resources and research surrounding overweight and obesity.

The toolkit was designed to help practitioners interact with patients and together develop customized, personalized approaches to managing obesity with patients of all ages. Tools may be used individually or in combination, based on your preferences and specific patient need.

Studies show that 3 to 5 minute conversations about a patient’s condition during routine visits can contribute to behavior change. The South Dakota Obesity Toolkit provides everything health practitioners need to inform and facilitate those conversations.

This free toolkit is only available online.

Download a copy and start the conversation!

We Can: Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition

We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition) is a national movement designed to give parents, caregivers, and entire communities a way to help children 8- to 13-years-old stay at a healthy weight.

Research shows that parents and caregivers are the primary influence on this age group. The We Can! national education program provides parents and caregivers with tools, fun activities, and more to help them encourage healthy eating, increased physical activity, and reduced time sitting in front of the screen (TV or computer) in their entire family.

We Can! also offers organizations, community groups, and health professionals a centralized resource to promote a healthy weight in youth through community outreach, partnership development, and media activities that can be adapted to meet the needs of diverse populations. Science-based educational programs, support materials, training opportunities, and other resources are available to support programming for youth, parents, and families in the community.

The We Can!® multimedia public service announcement (PSA) campaign, created in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Ad Council, encourages parents and caregivers to help children maintain a healthy weight by highlighting the benefits of physical activity and healthy eating habits in a fun and engaging way for the whole family.

The “I Can, You Can, We Can” PSAs are designed to empower parents and caregivers to find creative ways to challenge and engage their kids to make healthy choices. The television PSAs feature parents stepping out of their own comfort zones, with humorous results. This campaign is available in both English and Spanish. Check them out:

“Dunk” PSA

“Juice” PSA

An additional series of PSAs, entitled “All In Together”, takes a different approach by encouraging families to make family time healthy time and find fun ways to get healthy together.

“All In Together” PSA

Be sure to visit the We Can! program’s online component for family tips on eating right, getting active, reducing screen time, and various other topics.

Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; We Can!