Health coalition launches Story Book Trail

Promoting a healthy lifestyle and literacy, the Cape Girardeau County Healthy Communities Coalition is launching Story Book Trail to give families a chance to walk, skip or run -- and read -- at the same time.

Teri Wilson, corporate accounts coordinator of corporate communications for SoutheastHEALTH, presented the initiative to the Success By Six leadership team meeting Tuesday at the United Way of Southeast Missouri office.

The Healthy Communities Coalition bought 20 signs, featuring pages from children's books, that can be used in city parks and schools or by church groups, day care centers or other organizations. The first book is "Jonathan and His Mommy" by Irene Smalls-Hector and illustrated by Michael Hays.

Wilson said Jim Riley, author of the Dogtown books, also has made his books available for the Story Book Trail.

Wilson said the group will try to post a Story Book Trail schedule of events.

"It's just a program that might spark some family activity ... and let children read or be read to," Wilson said.

The Healthy Communities Coalition stemmed from a community health needs assessment completed by Southeast and Saint Francis hospitals this past spring, the website said. The study found diabetes and heart disease are health issues in the community, but the overriding issue is obesity, which impacts both, Wilson said.

"The most current data show residents having a 28 percent obesity rate, with another 35 percent being overweight," the site said. "Obesity puts individuals at a greater risk of chronic health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, chronic joint and back pain, hypertension and many more."

Coalition members include community agencies, businesses, school districts and chambers of commerce, among others. Plans for Story Book Trail have been in the works for the past couple of months. It came from a similar initiative in Maine called Story Walk.

The program uses elements of the 5210 program, which has been adopted by several cities across the country and advocates five servings of fruits or vegetables a day, two or fewer hours of screen time daily and one or more hours of physical activity. Instead of sugary drinks, the program suggests more water or low-fat milk.

The coalition liked the 5210 program because it's simple, easy to understand and can be used in schools, businesses and health-care organizations.

"I think we all see this as a long-term issue. I don't think you can change it in a year or five years," Wilson said, adding the coalition wants to make children see the benefits of an active lifestyle physically and mentally.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

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