LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) - Obesity is a serious epidemic in Michigan, which has been named one of the top 10 heaviest states in the nation. The state health department says 32% of adults and 17% of kids in Michigan are obese.
Michigan's new "Health and Wellness 4 x 4 Plan" is designed to shrink obesity and boost wellness.
"Just in time for the warm weather, summer sports, and gardening, the 'Michigan Health and Wellness 4 x 4 Plan' comes at an ideal time for Michiganders to address their health," says Olga Dazzo, Director of the state Health Department.
"While the plan is aimed at reducing and preventing obesity, every Michigander can adopt the 4 x 4 tool which can significantly improve their overall health and wellness," says Dazzo.
The plan involves practicing four key healthy behaviors, and keeping four health measures in check.
Healthy behaviors are: maintain a healthy diet, engage in regular exercise, get an annual physical exam, and avoid all tobacco use. The four health measures are body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, cholesterol level, and blood sugar/glucose level.
The State Health Department says, the 4 x 4 plan, "not only allows Michiganders to take personal responsibility for their health, but also significantly increases life expectancy, reduces the chances of
disability, and improves overall quality of life."The 4X4 plan and tools to assess your health can be found at: http://www.michigan.gov/healthymichigan
Here's the fact sheet on the plan from the Michigan Department Of Community Health:
Michigan Health and Wellness 4 x 4 Fact Sheet FOUR HEALTHY BEHAVIORS
1. Maintain a healthy diet
Research shows that healthy eating contributes greatly to overall health.
Few adults achieve the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables.
The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults eat between 1.5 and 2.5 cups of fruit and 2.5 and 4 cups of vegetables daily, depending on age, gender, and amount of regular physical activity.
2. Engage in regular exercise
Regular physical activity is one of the most important contributors to health and helps to achieve and maintain a healthy weight while contributing to the health of bones, joints, and muscles. It can also reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.
Less than half of adults in Michigan engage in recommended physical activity regularly - at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate intensity physical activity a week, such as brisk walking, biking or swimming.
Children and adolescents should get 60 minutes of physical activity per day.
3. Get an annual physical examination
Receiving an annual physical is a good way to be proactive about health and wellness.
There are many benefits to having an annual physical exam, including earlier diagnosis and treatment of existing health issues and prevention of future problems.
Regular physical exams also provide a variety of screenings dependent on age, health and family history and lifestyle choices.
By getting the right health services, screenings, and treatments, Michiganders increase their chances for living longer and healthier lives.
4. Avoid all tobacco use and exposure
Tobacco use is the leading cause of premature and preventable death in the United States.
Avoiding all tobacco use, including cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, pipes and hookahs, and also eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke, can greatly reduce the risk of developing heart disease, cancers, pulmonary disease, periodontal disease, asthma and other diseases.
While Michigan has decreased smoking in the population over the last 50 years from 46 percent to 18 percent, we still have 15,000 annual deaths related to smoking.
Evidence-based practices have demonstrated that everyone can significantly improve their personal health by practicing four key healthy behaviors. In conjunction with these key healthy behaviors, everyone should be aware of four key health measures
that are closely tied to the incidence of chronic disease. Michigan Department of Community Health, 2012
Michigan Health and Wellness 4 x 4 Fact Sheet FOUR HEALTH MEASURES
1. Body Mass Index (BMI)
BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight.
A healthy adult BMI falls within a range of 18.5 -24.9. A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight, and those with a BMI of 30 or greater are classified as obese.
Maintaining a BMI within the healthy range can reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose and lower the risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and kidney disease.
BMI values for children are expressed in percentiles to control for differences in body sizes due to gender and age. The percentile indicates the relative position of the child's BMI number among children of the same gender and age.
A child with a BMI percentile between 5 and 84 percent is considered to be at a healthy weight, 85 to 94 percent is considered overweight, and above the 95th percentile is considered obese.
2. Blood Pressure
Healthy blood
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