Grant used to combat obesity in Mansfield

Rob Miller, director of health for the Eastern Highlands Health District (EHHD), plans to work with the local community center to combat obesity among the residents of Mansfield.

In October 2002, the EHHD received a $125,000 grant from the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Miller said. The grant is a three-year grant given in three disbursements; $50,000 the first year, $40,000 the second year and $30,000 the third year, according to Miller.

"We [EHHD] were surprised to get the grant," Miller said. "We applied for smaller grants before, but this was our first time applying for a large grant."

The EHHD is using the grant to create a cardiovascular health policy program to reduce the risk of poor nutrition, obesity and physical inactivity. Miller said a big part of the program is to work with the community center.

The community center should be completed by early August and will include a pool, gymnasium and fitness center, Miller said. According to Miller, the center would be attractive to the citizens of Mansfield because there would likely be fewer students there because there would be a membership fee, and a majority of UConn students would not want to pay the fee because they have access to the recreational facilities on campus. He did say there would be attempts made to get additional membership.

"There will be a market campaign to encourage people to join," Miller said. "Our partnership focuses on community fitness."

According to Miller, EHHD has received a good deal of support from the surrounding community.

"We have good participation from town government staff, UConn faculty, Subway, local physicians affiliated with Windhom Hospital and community groups such as the Senior Center and Curves for Women," Miller said. "The idea is to impact subdivisions of the community like schools; our objective is to focus not on one age group but many as possible."

Miller said the EHHD is working to modify the way people act in an attempt to encourage eating right.

"We [EHHD] encourage proper nutrition and are trying to modify personal policy and environmental policy in communities," Miller said.

He said personal policy would get large employers to reimburse employees for the cost of health club memberships and would get communities to construct bike paths, hiking areas and other forms of physical activity.

The EHHD also plans to involve local restaurants by encouraging them to make nutritional information available on either their Web sites or menus, Miller said. Currently, only major fast food restaurant chains such as McDonalds, Dunkin' Donuts and Subway have nutritional information provided through their Web sites.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health online division lists overweight people to have a 51 percent risk of cardiovascular disease and physically inactive people to have an 80 percent risk. The department also states the prevalence of obesity has risen significantly in Conn. during the past decade. Diets high in saturated fat combined with sedentary lifestyles lead to excess weight. Nearly 63 percent of Conn. males are considered overweight compared to 40 percent of females.

The EHHD lists cardiovascular disease as the cause of 42 percent of all deaths in Conn. Risk factors include diabetes, physical inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure, smoking abnormal blood lipid levels and high total cholesterol levels. Associated risk factors that cannot be changed are positive family history, increasing age, male gender and black race.

CVD is also recorded as one of the most preventable of all diseases through the practice of preventative measures including weight management, physical activity, incorporating a diet low in salt and unsaturated fat and rich in fruits and vegetables, as well as treating high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.