‘Eat well, move more, feel better’

The Union County Development Association (UCDA) is on a mission to make Union County a more friendly, healthy, rewarding place to live and work.

One of four committees within the UCDA is Discover UC, whose goal is to work with the community to attract visitors and make uptown/downtown areas more inviting and versatile.

In partnership with Healthy Hometown through Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Discover UC is promoting healthy living in Union County through a three-prong project encouraging residents to eat well, move more and feel better.

According to a Wellmark study using public sources such as the Centers for Disease Control, the health care system in the United States is at risk of becoming unsustainable due to rising costs of treating preventable conditions. The study found individuals have control of 60% of the factors that impact their health.

While the UCDA and the city of Creston cannot make healthy choices for citizens, Jim Cushing, a community health manager with Wellmark, said there are many ways they can make healthy choices more available and more natural.

One idea stemming from “move more” is to make Creston more “walkable” – encouraging residents to rely less on driving. Beginning with Uptown Creston and connecting to the existing trail system, the UCDA is seeking to make Creston a safer and more friendly place to walk and bike.

A walkability study conducted by Wellmark at the request of the UCDA highlighted some areas where Uptown Creston is not conducive to walking and biking and offered some solutions.

Uneven and missing sidewalks, the lack of curb ramps and the absence of bike lanes can make it difficult for residents to walk or bike safely. According to Creston’s city administrator Mike Taylor, sidewalk maintenance is the responsibility of the owner of the adjacent property, however, there is no city code to enforce maintenance.

The study also suggests creating bumpouts – areas of the roadway not essential to traffic that are built up into usable spaces.

According to the Wellmark study, bumpouts are not only beneficial for beautification projects, they also make crossings safer by shortening the distance pedestrians have to walk to cross busy streets and helping to decrease the speed of turning vehicles.

Creston currently has a painted bumpout at the corner of Maple and Adams streets. The study recommended the painted bumpouts be gradually replaced with permanent curbing.

In order to create a more inviting space for walkers uptown, the study also proposed creating outdoor seating spaces. Parking spaces, alleyways and existing green spaces can be converted for benches, public art and outdoor dining areas, either temporarily or permanently.

The UCDA hopes to implement some of these suggestions using a combination of public funding, program revenue, grants and private investors.

Another facet of Healthy Hometown is providing more opportunities for healthy eating. The UCDA plans to partner with local restaurants, grocery stores and concessions to encourage easier access to healthy foods.

Cushing said it is a matter of behavioral economics; often the placement, effort or price discourages consumers from selecting healthy items. Placing bottles of water at mid-level rather than on the bottom shelf makes a consumer more likely to choose water over soft drinks.

He spoke of a community in southeast Iowa where they bought apple slicers for their concession stand, so that customers can easily eat slices of apple intstead of having the mess of biting into a whole apple.

He also suggested that businesses that offer healthy choices consider higher pricing for their less healthy offerings.

"We're not trying to take things away," Cushing said, "but it's just trying to [add] those healthy options."

Cushing spoke of asking restaurants to pair their entrees with a healthy side rather than the traditional fried-potato-based side. Customers are more likely to make a healthier choice if it is standard, instead of having to ask for it.

Kayla Hoffman, marketing director from Greater Regional Health, said that the cafeteria at the hospital is open to the public and already does this. The chips are in baskets below the healthier foods. She also stated the cafeteria’s focal point is a salad bar, which is open for lunch and dinner, and the snack cart offered to the staff has healthy alternatives such as V-8 and low fat snacks.

Dana Dodge, executive director of the Southern Prairie YMCA, said the ‘Y’ is working on a plan to offer cut fruits and vegetables and parfaits in addition to the snacks currently available in their vending machines. She also stated the YMCA is looking into healthier lunch and snack options for its summer day camps.

Once the UCDA has accomplished a number of its Healthy Hometown goals, it would be eligible to apply for a Healthy Hometown award which would come with a $5,000 grant to be used towards the Healthy Hometown initiatives.

Mindy Stalker, from UCDA, said that the public can help with Discover UC’s mission by keeping an open mind about new projects, understanding that each project will involve a trial period and by participating in upcoming events such as the Update Uptown event. She also said she welcomes constructive feedback.

Those who are interested in joining the UCDA should contact Stalker at 641-782-2003.