Making Our Cities Healthier, One Person at a Time

Americans know they have a weighty problem. More than two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese. I'm a registered dietitian who counsels people with weight issues every day, and these statistics upset me. But I'm more concerned that we keep putting resources towards collecting obesity statistics instead of developing programs to make people healthier. Enough already! Let's focus on practical ideas that actually help people shrink their waistlines and live healthy lives.

Here's a great example from my hometown, Chicago. The "Windy City" is competing against San Antonio in a new wellness challenge! The $5 million initiative was announced earlier this month by the American Beverage Association Foundation and the mayors of both cities. It will pit city employees and their families against each other to see which city has the healthiest employees and can lose more weight in one year. I love this type of competition because there are no losers, just people shedding pounds and putting healthy living into practice.

The wellness challenge is a great start to make Chicago healthier. But there are other things all cities can be doing. Since childhood and adolescence are important times for shaping habits, measures should start in our schools. Let's incorporate nutrition education into the curriculum from elementary through high school. We also need to encourage young people to spend less time in front of the TV or computer and move more by increasing physical education. But perhaps my favorite of all would be to offer simple cooking classes to children, so they learn basic skills for preparing healthy meals. And while we're at it, let's pair them with their moms and dads, so families can learn about healthy eating together.

And, the good news is, this stuff works! I've seen it firsthand by coordinating with the Chicago-based organization, Vive en Forma. This group's programs, such as cooking classes, health fairs and in-store exhibits, have both educated and motivated Chicago's Latin community. Their successful recipe could easily be applied beyond the Latin community in other cities.

In my opinion, these types of programs work because people are empowered with information, so they can make smarter choices that work for them. This type of motivation has also worked for many individuals I have counseled on weight management. Instead of telling folks to give up favorites like deep dish pizza, hot dogs or soda, I help them figure out creative ways to incorporate these items and still have healthy lifestyles. And guess what? Most people listen, especially when they see results. Deprivation, on the other hand, turns people off and is unlikely to make much of a difference.

A healthy lifestyle is about moderation, balancing calorie intake and taking part in appropriate levels of exercise. Integrating these factors through education will be an efficient way to fight the obesity epidemic.

I challenge you to consider how programs like those from Vive en Forma and the beverage industry's wellness challenge for Chicago and San Antonio city employees can work in your communities. You can also look for local organizations and resources dedicated to healthy living in your hometown. If we all get behind these empowering programs, we can make our cities healthier, one person at a time.

Sylvia Melendez-Klinger, MS, RD, LD, CPT, is a Chicago area-based registered dietitian, certified personal trainer and a nutrition consultant for food and beverage companies, including Coca-Cola.