The health-focused day, set this year for Thursday, May 22, was initiated by Carney in conjunction with the Delaware Center for Health Promotion (DCHP), a joint venture between UD and the lieutenant governor's office, to raise awareness about preventable illnesses in Delaware and to encourage residents to adopt healthy lifestyle choices.
“We know that lifestyle choices are directly related to health status,” Carney said in his opening remarks, “and 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.”
Carter said that Be Healthy Delaware Day grew from a need to boost awareness in Delawareans about proactive measures they could take to maintain their health. She made the point that an ounce of prevention truly is worth a pound of cure and said that it's often not until illness occurs that people become vigilant about their diet and exercise habits.
“Our health always seems much more valuable after we lose it,” Carter said, “and while adopting healthy lifestyle habits is challenging, the end results--good health and quality of life--are well worth the effort.”
The objective of Be Healthy Delaware Day is twofold--to get as many Delawareans to participate in the effort as possible and to inspire participants to adopt one healthy lifestyle behavior from a list of five to “try out” for the day. As of May 16, more than 42,000 Delawareans had registered to participate in the May 22 event, and thousands more are anticipated.
The five behaviors include:
- Engaging in at least 30 minutes (during the course of the day) of physical activity;
- Eating smaller portions or splitting an oversized restaurant meal with someone;
- Consuming more fruits and vegetables;
- Refraining from smoking (smokers only); and
- Scheduling a preventive health screening if it's overdue.
“There are so many theories out there about changing behavior,” Carter said, “but one that's proven especially successful is the theory of self-efficacy.” That theory, Carter explained, is based on incremental success. “If people can make little changes and gradually see positive results, then they are inspired to stick with the effort,” she said.
Carney capped the press conference by fielding questions, along with Carter, from members of the audience, and by signing Gov. Ruth Ann Minner's proclamation officially designating May 22 as Be Healthy Delaware Day.
Random prizes, including a one-year family membership to a YMCA in Delaware, edible fruit flower baskets and Be Healthy Delaware T-shirts, will be awarded to registered participants.
To register, interested individuals can go to [www.behealthydelaware.org] and follow the links or call (302) 831-1998. The registration deadline is Tuesday, May 20.
This year's Be Healthy Delaware Day is co-sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware, Artesian Water and the Healthy Delaware Foundation.
Article by Becca Hutchinson
Photo by Duane Perry
