Priority Area: Obesity

Increasing Opportunities for Physical Activity and Healthy Eating to Improve Health

Why is this a priority area?

Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30. Obesity is a significant risk factors for diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Lifestyle factors such as physical activity, healthy eating and monitoring caloric intake can decrease the risk of obesity.Across the United States, adult obesity remains a challenge as the rate continues to increase from 27.1% in 2013 to 27.7% in 2014. In Louisiana, there has been a spike in adult obesity from 32% to 34% over a three year span. Closer to home, the East Baton Rouge Parish rate has significantly increased from 30% to 34% over the same three years. Looking at these alarming trends, it is imperative that obesity is one of the four priority areas of Healthy BR. Our work to educate, increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and increase physical activity will help make the healthy choice the easy choice.

What the Data Shows

Compared to LA Parishes, East Baton Rouge has a value of 96.4% which is in the best 50% of parishes. Parishes in the best 50% have a value higher than 60.4% while parishes in the worst 25% have a value lower than 43.1%.

Access to Exercise Opportunities
(Compared to LA Parishes)

Compared to LA Parishes, East Baton Rouge has a value of 11.5% which is in the best 50% of parishes. Parishes in the best 50% have a value lower than 14.5% while parishes in the worst 25% have a value higher than 15.8%.

Food Insecurity Rate
(Compared to LA Parishes)

Compared to LA Parishes, East Baton Rouge has a value of 20.9% which is in the best 50% of parishes. Parishes in the best 50% have a value lower than 21.1% while parishes in the worst 25% have a value higher than 24.6%.

Child Food Insecurity Rate
(Compared to LA Parishes)

Status of Goals, Objectives, and Key Activities

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Objective 1: Reducing childhood obesity through a community-wide educational message

Key Activities:

Completed

In Progress

Not Started

5210+10 Program

5210+10 is the childhood obesity message adopted by all the organizations on the Board of the Mayor’s Healthy City Initiative. 5210+10 stands for 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, 2 hours or less of recreational screen time per day, 1 hour of physical activity per day, 0 sweetened or sugary drinks, and 10 hours of sleep every night for children.

Objective 2: Increasing access to fresh and healthy food

Key Activities:

Completed

In Progress

Not Started

	Red Stick Mobile Farmers Market The Red Stick Mobile Farmer’s Market is a program that started in May 2013 that provides fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables in areas of low access across Fresh Beginnings’ target zip codes. The market, run by the Big River Economic and Agricultural Development Alliance (BREADA), has four weekly stops around the city and is joined by local farmers, food artisans, and community partners to provide a variety of produce, goods, cooking demonstrations, and nutrition education to underserved neighborhoods.
	Summer Food Service Program The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) through the US Department of Agriculture was designed to provide at-risk children with nutritious meals during the summer months when school is out. Through a concerted outreach effort and linking sponsors to partners running summer programs, Baton Rouge increased the number of children fed 26.8% year-over-year in 2014; totaling over 67,000 additional meals.
	Food Access Policy Commission The Food Access Policy Commission, facilitated by Together Baton Rouge and funded by the Mayor's Healthy City Initiative, is a cross-sector team of local leaders conducting problem analysis and best practice research in order to determine long-term solutions to increasing healthy food access for North and Old South Baton Rouge.
	Eat Healthy BR Restaurants Eat Healthy BR, collaborating with partner dieticians from the Baton Rouge Dietetics Association, LSU, Pennington, Our Lady of the Lake, Woman’s Hospital, and Ochsner, is a program that collaborates with local restaurants to offer healthier options for children. To participate, children’s menus must include water or low-fat milk as the default beverage and a fruit or vegetable side. The wait staff are also trained to promote the healthier options.
	Provide Increased Nutritional Education Healthy BR is working to grow nutritional resources like cooking classes, community gardens, healthy local recipes, and kids programs.

Objective 3: Increasing access to physical activity

Key Activities:

Completed

In Progress

Not Started

Family Fit Day

Family Fit Day is an Open Streets event organized by Healthy BR. The first Family Fit Day was held in June 2014 and involved closing a 3-mile loop of streets around BREC’s City-Brooks Park.

BREC on the Geaux

BREC on the Geaux is a mobile recreation unit that brings “pop-up” recreation to schools, housing sites, and parks located in areas without suitable opportunities for play.

Healthy Workplaces

Healthy BR is encouraging healthy workplace designations such as Louisiana Wellspots and American Heart Association Fit Friendly Worksite for our partner organizations and other businesses

Objective 4: Pursue a Health in All Policies Approach

Key Activities:

Completed

In Progress

Not Started

Complete Streets

Alongside other organizations, Healthy BR is working to support implementation of the City-Parish’s Complete Streets Policy to support the needs of active communities. A Healthy BR representative sits on the Citizens’ Advisory Committee for Complete Streets.