Healthy Schools Program Convenes

Healthy Schools Long Island & Lower Hudson Valley held its third annual Healthier Long Island Challenge conference Wednesday at Western Suffolk BOCES where local, state and national experts and advocates came together to address health in our schools.

HSNY, a New York State Department of health-funded initiative, is partnering with the American Dairy Council, Hunger Solutions NY, Island Harvest, Food Research and Action Center, Fuel Up to Play 60, Action for Healthy Kids and GOPHER to bring together experts. A growing body of evidence suggests that children who are nourished and physically active during the school day perform betters on tests, have improved mental health and remain on task.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone was honored for his commitment to healthier lifestyles. 

Suffolk County just recently launched the Healthy Suffolk Campaign which complements the work that is being done by the Healthy Schools Campaign.

Healthy Suffolk is an umbrella campaign that covers a wide range of Suffolk County health initiatives aimed to create a culture of wellness among residents, businesses and government. Healthy Suffolk seeks to create a united health message to help the public adopt healthier behaviors as well as raise awareness of public health efforts and offer residents easy access to vital County health information and initiatives. The campaign is to remind the public that healthy living is different for each individual but is designed to help keep health and wellness in the forefront of people’s minds.

The campaign is divided into three categories: Active living, Eat smart, Live well

• Healthy Suffolk – Active Living – County to host the inaugural marathon (& half) and promote active lifestyle. In addition, the County’s Parks & Recreation Department has focused on offering a wide range options that run the healthy living gamut, including: hiking trails, running trails, horseback riding, row boat rentals, kayaking, scuba diving, and more. All information available at www.suffolkcountyny.gov/parks

• Healthy Suffolk – Live Well - County and its partners have introduced a number of programs to encourage residents to live well. The County has received national attention for signing the Tobacco 21 law, a critical tool in preventing young people from starting to smoke. In addition over 18,000 residents have participated in the County’s free smoking cessation programs. The County has introduced “Staying Independent for Life,” the two-hour workshops open to the public and intended to empower mature adults to carry out behaviors that reduce their risk of falling. The program focuses on building the participants’ confidence and ability to manage their everyday behaviors. Premiering in January 2015, Suffolk County will disseminate PSA’s on the top ten suggestions for a healthy lifestyle. Suffolk County’s Office of Minority Health’s also works to improve health outcomes and eliminate existing health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities in Suffolk County. This is accomplished through a variety of activities including conferences; community health fairs and partnerships with local agencies, businesses and churches.

• Healthy Suffolk – Eat Smart – Through the passage of the Healthy Vending machine legislation through the U.S. Agriculture Department, Suffolk County schools are beginning to offer healthier options to combat the nationwide epidemic of childhood obesity. I was fortunate enough to participate with the Brentwood School District, who will be presenting today, as they implemented their Healthy Vending Machine Initiative

• In addition, Suffolk County has kicked off the Healthy ‘Corner Store’ Project, a unique program to encourage businesses to distribute and promote fresh, healthy foods to residents who live in communities that lack affordable options communities.