Health Resource Capacity Assessment for Danielson, Connecticut, June 2003

Health Needs and Barriers to Care: Exercise, nutrition and obesity

Concerns about a decline in healthy lifestyles - inadequate nutrition, declining levels of exercise and increasing obesity - were voiced by a large number of stakeholders, focus group participants and childcare providers in the survey. Concerns crossed populations and perspectives and were very strongly stated in many cases. Stakeholders blamed the expense of buying fresh foods for struggling families, growing time constraints and stress on parents, and lack of public awareness or appreciation of the effects of obesity. Many reported that parents were more likely to react with denial than adaptive responses when informed that their children may be overweight.⁸⁷

Killingly students were slightly more likely to pass all four Physical Fitness tests identified by the state Dept. of Education than other children in Connecticut, however both are far below healthy goals (36.5% Killingly vs. 34.4% Connecticut⁸⁸). Less than one in three Connecticut residents eats five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. One in four participated in no physical activity in the last month. Over half of Connecticut residents are at risk for health problems related to being overweight.⁸⁹

The US Centers for Disease Control reports that obesity has risen at an epidemic rate over the last twenty years and is growing worse. Obesity puts people at higher risk for dozens of chronic and acute diseases including stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, complications of pregnancy, and some types of cancer.⁹⁰

Stakeholders noted informal walking clubs, Weight Watchers groups and a local wellness studio as positive developments in Danielson. Stakeholders and survey respondents recommended more public education about healthy eating, more community resources for affordable healthy food, more reliable transportation and local cooperation with the WIC program, and more opportunities and community awareness on the importance of regular exercise.⁹¹

Next: Health Needs and Barriers to Care: Asthma and smoking

Footnotes

87. Stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and Danielson childcare provider survey
88. Strategic School Profile, 2001-2002, Killingly School District, Connecticut Department of Education
89. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, US Centers for Disease Control, http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/index.htm
90. Nutrition and Physical Activity, US Centers for Disease Control, http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/index.htm
91. Stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and Danielson childcare provider survey