4:08 p.m., April 27, 2007--The University of Delaware is home to the new Delaware Center for Health Promotion, a joint venture of UD and Delaware Lt. Gov. John C. Carney Jr. The mission of the center, which was announced during a press conference held Friday afternoon in the Trabant University Center, is to encourage Delawareans to adopt healthy lifestyle habits that will improve their quality of life and lessen future health-care costs.

Programming and activities will be offered statewide by the center using the Healthy Delaware Foundation's slogan, “Be Healthy Delaware.” The initial focus will be to educate residents about five specific steps that they can take to maintain good health: preventive health screenings, physical activity, healthy eating, weight management and smoking cessation.

“So many of the health problems that many of us experience are preventable by maintaining a healthier lifestyle,” Carney, a UD graduate alumnus, said. “This center will enable us to increase our efforts and our success at educating Delawareans about the simple ways they can improve their health and their life every day.”

“The Delaware Center for Health Promotion is an important extension of the comprehensive public service partnership between the University and the state that grows from the Land Grant tradition and directly benefits the people of Delaware,” UD Provost Dan Rich said. “This new center will enhance the development and sharing of knowledge about best practices for maintaining healthy lifestyles, and thereby contribute to improved health and well-being throughout the state."

Lifestyle choices are directly related to health status. Delaware has made great strides when it comes to reducing the number of smokers in the state, however, obesity is on the rise and more than half of Delawareans don't get the recommended amount of physical activity or the suggested amount of fruits and vegetables in their diet.

Marianne Carter, a registered dietitian, health educator and former director of UD's Employee Wellness Center, has been named director of the new state center. “The best way to treat conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer is never to develop them,” Carter said. “I applaud Lt. Gov. Carney for his commitment to health care and this effort.”

Carney proclaimed Wednesday, May 23, as “Be Healthy Delaware Day.” Residents will be encouraged to adopt one healthy behavior that they don't currently practice. Random prizes will be awarded, including a family membership to the YMCA of Delaware. To register, go to [www.behealthydelaware.org] or call (302) 831-1998.

Photos by Duane Perry