Live Healthy

  • Healthy Lifestyles

  • Get out and get active!

  • More activity = better health

“The First wealth is health.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

According to the Kern County Department of Health: Obesity is one of the top health problems affecting Kern County. "Obesity increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions including; heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, hypertension, stroke, liver and gallbladder disease, respiratory problems, and osteoarthritis. Losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight help to prevent and control these diseases. Being overweight or obese also carries significant economic costs due to increased healthcare spending and lost earnings.
29.3% of Kern County adults are obese and the percentage has consistently increased over the 2003 – 2007 timeframe.
Latinos are leading at 34% with Whites next at 26%.
Males between the ages of 45 and 65 have the highest obesity rates."

Obesity is a chronic condition that affects more than one in three adults and nearly 17 percent of children in the United States. One in three adults is overweight.

If you are struggling with your weight, you may find that a healthy eating plan and regular physical activity help you lose weight and keep it off over the long term.

Benefits of an active life

Benefits for children

According to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, strong evidence exists that children and adolescents benefit from physical activity through improved cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, bone health, cardiovascular and metabolic health biomarkers, and favorable body composition. In addition, moderate evidence exists that physical activity reduces symptoms of depression.


Benefits for Adults

For adults and older adults (aged 65 years or older), the list of benefits is much longer and includes lower risk of early death, diseases of the heart and vascular system, diabetes, and breast and colon cancer. Other benefits include weight loss (when combined with reduced calorie intake), improved cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, Introduction to Physical Activity reduced depression, and prevention of weight gain. For older adults, there is strong evidence for better cognitive function in those who are physically active and moderate evidence for better functional health, reduced abdominal obesity, reduced risk of hip fracture and lung cancer, and better ability to maintain weight loss.

Healthy Lifestyles

Exercise

Exercise

Looking to get to or stay at a healthy weight? Both diet and physical activity play a critical role in controlling your weight. You gain weight when the calories you burn, including those burned during physical activity, are less than the calories you eat or drink. When it comes to weight management, people vary greatly in how much physical activity they need. You may need to be more active than others to achieve or maintain a healthy weight.

Nutrition

Nutrition

Most people know good nutrition and physical activity can help maintain a healthy weight. But the benefits of good nutrition go beyond weight. Good nutrition can help: Reduce the risk of some diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, some cancers, and osteoporosis.
Reduce high blood pressure.
Lower high cholesterol.
Improve your well-being.
Improve your ability to fight off illness.
Improve your ability to recover from illness or injury.
Increase your energy level.

Rest

Rest

Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety. The way you feel while you're awake depends in part on what happens while you're sleeping. During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health. In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and development. It also can affect how well you think, react, work, learn, and get along with others.

Prevention

Prevention

Remember the old saying that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"? This can be especially true when it comes to preventive health care. Maintaining or improving your health is important – and a focus on regular preventive care, along with following the advice of your doctor, can help you stay healthy. Routine checkups and screenings can help you avoid serious health problems, allowing you and your doctor to work as a team to manage your overall health, and help you reach your personal health and wellness goals.

Resources

Health benefits of physical activity include prevention of disease and reductions in risk factors associated with a range of diseases and conditions. Physical activity also is one of the elements in recommended treatments for obesity and other chronic conditions.

Healthful tips

Activity,
Ways to be active

Regular physical activity helps improve your overall health and fitness, and reduces your risk for many chronic diseases. Fitting regular exercise into your daily schedule may seem difficult at first, but the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans are more flexible than ever, giving you the freedom to reach your physical activity goals through different types and amounts of activities each week. It's easier than you think!Try some simple steps to increase your activity …

Read more (CDC website)
Have some Water
Water is great

Choose water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages. This can also help with weight management. Substituting water for one 20-ounce sugar sweetened soda will save you about 240 calories. Everyone has heard the advice, "Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day." That's about 1.9 liters, which isn't that different from the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Although the "8 by 8" rule isn't supported by hard evidence, it remains popular because it's easy to remember. . …

Read more (at CDC website)
Sleep, Tips
Get a good nights rest

Think about all the factors that can interfere with a good night's sleep — from pressure at work and family responsibilities to unexpected challenges, such as layoffs, relationship issues or illnesses. It's no wonder that quality sleep is sometimes elusive. Although you might not be able to control all of the factors that interfere with your sleep, you can adopt habits that encourage better sleep. Start with these simple sleep tips.. …

Read more (Mayo clinic tips)
Check, Ups
Preventative Medicine

Regular health exams and tests can help find problems before they start. They also can help find problems early, when your chances for treatment and cure are better. By getting the right health services, screenings, and treatments, you are taking steps that help your chances for living a longer, healthier life. Your age, health and family history, lifestyle choices (i.e. what you eat, how active you are, whether you smoke), and other important factors impact what and how often you need healthcare. …

Read more (CDC website)
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