Part one of a community discussion on healthy eating, physical activity and healthy body weight.

Continue to part two – click here.

So why are we interested in talking about this?  Why all the interest in healthy weight?

We have all seen in the news media that, as a country, we are steadily gaining weight.  And with this weight gain, there are a number of health concerns:

• High blood pressure
• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease
• Back and joint pain
• Some cancers

To name a few.

While many articles tell you what YOU can do – or should do – to avoid weight gain or to  lose weight, more evidence is coming out that says reversing weight gain in our community will most likely take a combination of individual, policy and environmental changes.

So we want to start a conversation – a place where you – our community – can come together and talk about what’s worked, what’s not worked, where you could use some help and what barriers stand between you and a healthy lifestyle.

We want to engage parents, youth, pediatricians, primary care physicians, teachers, community organizations.

And for this to work – the most important person we want to hear from is YOU!

Engage and have a conversation with us and each other through our website, Facebook and Twitter.

To get the conversation started, we want to introduce you to a new resourcedeveloped by researchers at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.  It’s a simple list of 8 questions entitled “Starting the Conversation – Diet.”

The researchers found that this resource can be effectively used for people to improve healthy eating and decrease body weight over time.  Based on your answers to each question, you are given 0 – 2 points per question.  The maximum score you can obtain is 16 points.  The lower your score, the better your eating pattern.

When you look at your score, select a question where your score was higher than “0” and work to improve that area.

A few tips:

• Select no more than 1-2 areas to work on at a time.
• Once you have achieved the lower score in those first two areas, then add another area.

If you are advising a student, child or parent, allow them to select an area that appeals to them.

•  Set a goal time period to work on the selected area – for example, a month.
• At the end of the month, check on your progress.
• Identify things that kept you from meeting your goals and think of ways to overcome them.

Complete your 8 Question “Conversation” now by clicking here!

What was your score? Did you learn anything about yourself from the Conversation questions?  What, if anything, do you plan to work on?

Share any of your thoughts with others by:

• Adding a Comment
• Posting on Facebook
• Tweeting about it @weightforus