Extension
Health & Nutrition Education Program
Patty's Ponderings
November 2007
Newsletter
If you
are looking for a film that causes you to ponder, watch King Corn.
A friend loaned it to me this summer but I didn’t get around
to watching it until now. Very timely, considering the Farm Bill will
be debated in the full Senate early this month. What is the Farm Bill?
I am by no means an expert. Some say it should be called the Food
Bill—through subsidies for storable commodities (corn, wheat
cotton, soy and rice), it has far reaching influences on what we purchase
at the grocery store. Some suggest our
Farm Bill subsidizes “junk foods” and contributes to the
epidemic of poor eating in our country and beyond. King Corn adds
to the debate. In the movie, college buddies Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis
move to Iowa and rent and acre of land. With the help of neighbors
they plant and grow a bumper crop of corn. But when they try to follow
their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling
questions about how we eat and how we farm. Much of the corn ends
up as corn syrup used in “junk foods” or goes to
feed lots for cattle. The irony is that the farmers grow fields and
fields of corn because its one of the only ways to stay in business—through
farm subsidies. In college any talk of food policies made me yawn.
I held to the mantra of “personal responsibility for food choices.”
I don’t yawn anymore and have learned to respect the “power
of policy.” When farm subsidies make a Twinkies cheaper than
apples, which will you choose? Let me know if you want to borrow the
DVD, I’m sure my friend won’t mind if I keep it a few more
months.
October 2007
Newsletter
I’m an aging Boomer. And I’m in good company—25%
of the US population is in the same category born between 1946 and
1964. One baby boomer reaches age 50 every 7 seconds. Clara Pratt,
Professor Emeritus from OSU, describes the Boomers as “a rabbit
being eaten by a python.” This mass of humanity has a huge impact
on society and industry as we travel through life’s stages. Now
we’re ready to redefined aging. When I was younger I was eager
to grow up but never thought I’d be old when I got there. Why
don’t more of us look forward to this stage in our life? At Bend’s
Successful Aging conference I learned from Debra Sellers, Extension
Specialist on Aging at Kansas State University, there are several
reasons. Some of us view aging negatively because it brings us face
to face with mortality; others don’t want to grow old because
society views it so negatively; others consider aging a series of
ongoing losses. Many boomers take the stance that aging is a fight
to be won—simple refusing to age (i.e. plastic surgery, etc).
Which attitude resonates most with you? Spend some time thinking about
your own beliefs on aging. If you are old, having a positive attitude
about aging means you will likely live longer. If you aren’t
old yet, your attitude about aging influences how you interact with
seniors in your life. Our beliefs shape how we age and how we relate
to others. Despite the desire to circumvent aging, I’ll be healthier
if I to go through it rather than around it. If I’m open to the
new opportunities growing old can bring. I may not remember your name
but I can raw from my “crystallized intelligence” to solve
problems.
September 2007
Newsletter
My boss brought me an article from Capital Press with several sentences
highlighted. The title was “Review Finds Nutrition Education
Failing: Federal Spending on Nutrition Education Programs Does Little.”
Great, what do you tell your boss? How do I respond to this negative
press and what do I tell Willie? In the article, Associated Press
reviewed 57 studies and found most educational efforts a failure.
I have several reactions to this article. First off, I don’t
consider an AP writer qualified to review the research. Many of the
published studies in the journals I read have shown a gradual trend
toward improved food habits, particularly with increased fruit/vegetables
intake in schools. Until recently, there has been little funding available
to research the effectiveness of such programs so results are still
emerging. Secondly, it’s important to define what “success”
is. Referring specifically to the effectiveness of nutrition education—
any experienced educator knows that change in knowledge (i.e. what
foods are high in calcium) does not result in change in behavior (i.e.
eating more calcium rich foods). Education alone will not change behavior.
It must be coupled with support from family, institutions, community
and policies. Unlike the AP author, I subscribe to the “upstream”
approach to improving health. This approach suggests that if we spend
all our time rescuing people that are drowning (i.e., already have
a chronic disease such as obesity or diabetes) then we don’t
have time to look upstream to see what is causing so many people to
fall into the river in the first place. It’s a shift in thinking
for many Americans and challenges our ideas on individualism and personal
responsibility. The real question is: Do we value prevention enough
in our culture to accept that it is not always “provable”
in the short term? Are we willing to put money, time and energy upstream
from disease through public policy and education?
July 2007 Newsletter
If you ever visit my office, you’ll notice the view. Mt.
Shasta and Stukel mark the horizon. Less magnificent but equally amazing
is the view of Klamath Garden. Unlike Mt Shasta that just IS—big,
bold, and everpresent— the garden’s beauty creeps up on
me. The gradual birth of sprouts that turn to plants and then to vegetables.
Every year, without fail, I plant a garden at my house. Each year
I wonder, why do I do this? For six months, I till the soil, fertilize,
weed, water, thin, stake, repair and fuss over the garden. There is
something so incredibly satisfying to participate in the creation
of life from a tiny seed. To nourish it, protect it against insects
(kids and animals too!). It’s a give and a take. To take what
the earth has given, harvest it and take it into my body so it can
in turn nourish me and my family. There is something so satisfying
as the cycle comes full circle. I don’t understand it other than
the joy it brings me. I accept that and the harvest openly.
June 2007 Newsletter
Let me tell you a story…bet I have your attention don’t
I? Everyone appreciates a good story. A story implies entertainment,
holds promise of laughter or lessons learned by the teller. When I
think of stories I think of my grandparents—their stories of
people and times long past; I think of snuggling with my children
during a thunderstorm with the lights out. “Tell me a story,
mom,” they plead. At Ron’s retirement party, there were
stories. Many of hem funny but if you listened closely they told of
his values; of what mattered to Ron. As Jane Kirkpatrick (Eastern
Oregon author) says, we learn about ourselves when we tell stories.
They reveal who we are and what we desire to become. She encourages
people to tell their stories and in so doing, name their desire. For
if we cannot name our desire, how can we ever achieve it? Find a way
to tell your story, whether orally to your grandchildren, written
in a journal or on a blog, with pictures or multimedia. Begin today
to discover your story and discover the desires of your heart. I’ve
had the privilege of reading stories from our participants in the
6-week wellness challenge that just concluded (Healthy Active Challenge
‘07). I’d like to share one that demonstrates what the Challenge
is all about—desiring good health and seeking it (I’ve paraphrased
the story to shorten it). I was born into this world at 11.5 pounds,
so I was never meant to be a small person. Currently I’m 50 pounds
overweight, or "Obese" as the charts say, and would like
to do something about it. I'm tired of hearing myself make excuses,
in fact I almost didn't join the Challenge this year because of the
fear of depression and stress at not getting high points (i.e. competition).
I have been getting up earlier and doing an exercise routine, and
have made better food choices, but would like to do more. It’s
hard trying to be healthy and do everything else life requires like
housecleaning, errands and balancing the budget. I guess my story
is a plea for emotional support and ideas—and to thank my team
for being an inspiration to me. Healthy Active Challenge is a great
way for us all to get focused on what’s important!
