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Obesity has become a
serious health problem and it is the second leading cause of preventable death
in the US. Nearly 65% of US adults ages 20 or above are overweight,
30.5% are obese and 4.7% are severely obese (Flegal et. al., 2002).
Obesity leads to health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.
More than 3.2 million African-Americans age 20 & older have diabetes and
are almost twice as like as whites to have the disease (Flegal et. al..
2002)
To reduce obesity as a causative factor of type 2 diabetes among
students, faculty, staff, and the community North Carolina Central
University (NCCU) has launched Eat Smart Be Active. This initiative is
a collaborative effort between NCCU Department of Health Education and
the Community Health Coalition, Inc. with sponsorship from the Office of
the Chancellor. The objective of the project is to modify lifestyle
behaviors by promoting walking trails, placing nutrition labels in the
cafeteria, and providing health tips. Beginning fall 2006 maps and
health brochures will be prominently displayed throughout the campus.
Currently trails indicated by the Eat Smart Be Active footprints have
been painted along two of the designated trails, and nutrition labels
identifying the content of foods served have been placed in the
cafeteria.
The kick-off for the initiative was held on April 1, 2006 in conjunction
with the 10th annual First Lady’s Walk-a-thon sponsored by
NCCU Academic Community Service Learning, the Health Education
Department, and Dr. Elaine Hart-Brothers and the Community Health
Coalition, Inc. Participants followed the perimeter trail sponsored by
the Durham Links.
Everyone is encouraged to look for the maps and footprints to follow the
trails, and use the nutrition labels and brochures to make healthy food
choices. For more information contact Dr. Seronda A. Jackson
(NCCU Health Education Department) at 919-530-7965 or sajackson@nccu.edu.
*Source: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey. Health, United States, 2002. Flegal et.
al. JAMA. 2002;288:1723-7.
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