Gadsden County gets going for health
Royal A. Shepherd, Democrat staff writer @RoyalShepherdFS on Twitter
The Florida Department of Health in Gadsden County launched its fifth annual Get Going Gadsden Healthiest Weight Initiative this week. The six-month challenge started Jan. 12 and will run through July 12.
Each month will have different events, with the ultimate goal being to motivate Gadsden County residents to increase physical activity to 30 minutes per day for six months.
Florida Department of Health Gadsden interim administrator Maximo Martinez said the health department sees the community involvement as an invaluable component to the initiative's success.
"We are very excited to see the support from the community for the fifth year in a row," Martinez said. "The initiative is a challenge developed to increase physical activity, encourage healthy eating habits and increase awareness about obesity and chronic diseases as a result of unhealthy eating and limited physical activity."
The movement was started to encourage healthier weight and eating habits through exercise and nutrition. The health department also wants to increase community partnerships between nonprofit, for-profit, county businesses and organizations and faith-based communities to improve the overall health of Gadsden County.
The challenge is split into 10 teams. Each team receives an initial, midway and ending weigh-in by the FDOH staff, and members each received a healthy life journal. Participants will be encouraged to host their own events centered on physical activity and healthy nutrition.
There is also a halfway event, award ceremony and checkpoints between all major events. Each team will have a team captain who is expected to e-mail their team's weekly weigh-ins and physical activity hours to FDOH every Monday.
There are three challenge categories: group with the largest percentage of weight loss, group with the most physical activity hours, and male and female with the largest percentage of weight loss.
For more information and a list of upcoming events for the challenge, contact the Florida Department of Health-Gadsden at 850-875-7200 ext. 404.