Description and Mission of the Program

The mission of the Health Education Program is to emphasize quality nutrition and adequate physical activity in order to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors among residents of Cowlitz County.

Poor nutrition and lack of physical activity are contributing factors to obesity. Obesity is defined as an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20-30 % of a person's ideal weight. Obesity is a leading cause of many serious life-threatening illnesses, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, colon cancer, and heart disease and stroke. Obesity also contributes to physical maladies, such as arthritis, falls and fractures.

Approximately 69% of all Cowlitz County residents are considered overweight or obese.

The cornerstone of the program is the U.S.D.A. funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This program's goal is to increase the proportion of Basic Food Program recipients and applicants whose diets reflect the U.S.D.A. Dietary Guidelines and who participate in moderate physical activity on a consistent basis. 

Related Health Department Web Links

• Assessments

• Food Safety

• Healthy Lifestyle Coalition

• Local Recreational Opportunities

• Nutrition

• Physical Activity

• Tobacco Prevention & Control

Related Outside  Websites

Dept of Health websites

• MyPyramid.gov

• Community Wellness and Prevention

• Nutrition in Washington

• Physical Activity

• Steps to a Healthier US

• WIC Healthy Habits

• WIC Nutrition Education Program

• Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program  

Other Websites

• Active Living by Design

• American Cancer Society

• American Diabetes Association

• American Dietetic Association Eat Right Program

• American Heart Association

• Five a day (National Cancer Institute)

• Eat Smart, Play Hard (USDA)

• Healthy Kids Challenge

• Improving School Nutrition Environment

• Kelso Area Parks

• Kids Walk to School

• Lewis River Recreation Guide

• Longview-Kelso Parks and Recreation

• National Health Information Center

• National Institutes of Health

• National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

• The President's Challenge Physical Fitness

• VERB Middle School Program (CDC)

Major Program Objectives and Goals

Conduct a community-wide nutrition and physical activity campaign throughout Cowlitz County.

• Disseminate message through printed materials,  updated Health Education web pages, and television and radio ads.

• Partner with community agencies to incorporate and reinforce nutrition and physical activity campaign into existing programs and sites.

• Participate in health fairs.

Form a cohesive support system with partner agencies in order to consistently reinforce physical activity and dietary quality objectives in the population.

• Train partner agencies' staff and volunteers in nutrition and physical activity principles.

• Provide nutritional/physical activity resource packets to partner agencies.

• Develop a plan to work within existing networks to meet SNAP-Ed program objectives.

• Identify, assess and overcome barriers that hinder success of meeting nutrition and fitness objectives.

Enhance and incorporate nutrition and physical activity information into existing Health Department programs.

• Identify current sites or establish new outreach satellite sites that include nutrition and physical activity promotion with other services.

• Provide resource packets for IMMS and ICM clients that enforce program objectives and measure specific outcomes.

• Incorporate nutrition and physical activity education materials/information packets into current Health Department programs.

• Incorporate food safety sanitation and "quit smoking" message into nutrition and physical activity packets and existing Health Department programs.

Promote environmental changes in schools and communities to foster improved dietary habits and physical activities.

• Encourage Fruits and Veggies Matter Program throughout Cowlitz County.

• Increase awareness of local recreational opportunities, such as location of trails, parks  and sports facilities.

• Collaborate with other community programs to incorporate nutrition and physical activity policy and promotion.

Community Partners

• Cowlitz County GIS

• Cowlitz County Building and Planning

• Cowlitz Family Health Center (WIC program)

• Parents Place

• Lower Columbia College Head Start

• WSU-Vancouver "Food Sense" Program

• Kinderland Academy

• Youth and Family Link

• Lower Columbia CAP

• Longview Parks and Recreation

• Girls on the Run

• Peace Health

• Kaiser Permanente

Who can participate?

• Women who qualify for the Basic Food Nutrition Program and WIC program.

• All clients of the  Women, Infants and Children program,  Integrated Maternity Support Services (IMMS) or Infant Case Management (ICM) are eligible to participate in the SNAP-Ed program. 

• Clients of the following partner agencies:

  Parents Place

  Kinderland Academy

  Head Start

  Family Link

  Even Start

  SW WA Safe Haven

  DAPC

   

• All Cowlitz County residents may participate in many of the recreational opportunities, events and health fairs sponsored by the Health Department.