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Representatives meet to boost enthusiasm for anti-obesity initiative

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By Ben Sutherly, Staff Writer 11:20 AM Tuesday, November 10, 2009

DAYTON — About 80 representatives of businesses and organizations taking part in GetUp Montgomery County met on Tuesday, Nov. 10, to bolster enthusiasm and commitment for the countywide anti-obesity initiative.

Partners in the initiative shared examples of how they have incorporated the campaign’s “5-2-1-almost none” message into their programming thus far, from the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery’s traveling museum exhibits to the meals served at the YMCA’s youth training center in Trotwood.

The message is shorthand for:

• Five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

• Limiting one’s “screen time” in front of a television or computer to two hours a day.

• One hour of physical activity a day, even if it’s less-intensive exercise such as walking the block or gardening.

• Almost no sugary beverages, namely soft drinks and juice drinks.

James Gross, Montgomery County health commissioner, said work on the $500,000 initiative has been under way for two years, adding it takes time to undo decades of ingrained inactivity.

“Now is really the time to stop talking and communicate through actions,” Gross said. “Talking will not get it done, and neither will baby steps.”

“We can either lead our citizens to a healthier future, or we can wait on Washington to do it for us,” Gross said. “Do we really want to wait on Washington?”

Get Up’s community and business partners so far include the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, CareSource Foundation, Centerville City Schools, City of Dayton, CompuNet Clinical Laboratories, Cox Ohio Media, Five Rivers MetroParks, Kettering Health Network, McGohan Brabender, Montgomery County, Premier Health partners, Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County, Sinclair Community College, South Community, Inc., the Children’s Medical Center of Dayton, and YMCA of Greater Dayton.

For more partner information, contact Lorraine Russell, project manager, at lorraine.russell@getupmc.org

For more information about Get Up, go to getupmc.org

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7457 or bsutherly@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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