FNEC developed the Building Healthy Habits (BHH) initiative in response to the growing recognition that reaching a healthy weight requires going beyond individual knowledge and behavior change to make the places people live, work and play more supportive. People are more likely to make healthy choices when they have access to convenient, affordable, nutritious foods and safe, fun ways to be active.
Through BHH, Cornell Cooperative Extension educators are collaborating with community members, agencies, and coalitions to support access to healthy food and active play options in communities in New York State, for example:
- Building a coalition of agencies – including social service providers, healthcare providers, municipalities and educational institutions – to work together on childhood obesity prevention efforts;
- Providing training for agency staff who serve children, including day care and Head Start staff, to encourage offering healthy snacks, reducing TV time, increasing active play, and modeling healthy behaviors;
- Participating on task forces to improve community environments, such as increasing access to bike lanes and low-cost fruit and vegetable carts in low-income communities.
For More Information
- Visit BHH on Facebook
- Contact FNEC-admin@cornell.edu, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University