LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared March as National Nutrition Month in Michigan.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program is joining with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to remind Michiganders to eat nutritious foods and get plenty of physical activity.
Every March, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics works to educate citizens about National Nutrition Month with a different theme. This year’s theme has been announced as “Eat Right, Bite by Bite.”
Its purpose is to promote eating a variety of nutritious foods every day, planning and creating healthy meals each week, and the encouragement of consulting a registered dietitian nutritionist.
“Good nutrition is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS. “Combined with physical activity, diet can help people reach and maintain a healthy weight, reduce their risk of chronic diseases and improve their overall health.”
Data provided by the State of Michigan indicates that about one-third of U.S. adults and approximately 17 percent of children and adolescents aged 2 – 19 years are considered obese. Unhealthy eating habits are said to have contributed to these rates.
Health risks associated with a poor diet include heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.
This is why state officials encourage promoting a licensed dietitian if possible. They can provide the following services:
- provide recipe ideas, cooking tips and other healthful advice for everyday issues such as cooking dinner or meal preparation for picky eaters.
- provide medical nutrition therapy to help clients manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.
- set nutrition goals to improve health.
Additionally, all Michigan citizens are encouraged to practice the following healthy habits, not just this month, but the rest of the year.
- Eat a variety of nutritious foods each day by including healthy foods from all food groups and be sure to hydrate with water instead of sugary drinks.
- Be a smart shopper by reading food labels to find out more about the foods you eat.
- Plan your meals each week by choosing healthy recipes to make and using a grocery list to shop for healthy foods.
- Learn skills to create tasty meals and reduce food waste by transforming leftovers into meals, using the foods already on hand and practicing good food safety.
More information about healthy eating and lifestyle choices can be found by visiting Eatright.org.
