Healthy Champaign County is comprised of campus and community organizations working to promote healthy eating and active living in our community.
Healthy Champaign County, is a collection of individuals, organizations and university departments from Champaign County who work together and with others to increase active living, access to healthy food, shared family meals, and safe routes to school and work.
HCC Mission:
To provide opportunities for sustainable changes in promoting healthy eating and active living, in order to reduce obesity in Champaign County.
HCC (formerly C-U Fit Families) was formed by Illinois Public Media (WILL radio.tv.online), the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, and the University of Illinois Family Resiliency Center in July, 2008. Meetings are usually on the 3rd Tuesday, every other month, from 1-2 pm.
Why Healthy Champaign County?
A generation ago, students walked to school and back each day with recess and P.E. being part of their school day. Children begged to play in the neighborhood or the woods, and were not distracted by 24-hour cartoon programming and movie-like video games. Like today’s children, vegetables were not a favorite, but were served and consumed at most meals. Today, more than 80% of youth report eating less than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. One in three US children are overweight and obese, compared to 1 in 20 in 1963. While we know little about obesity locally, Illinois ranks ninth out of the 50 states and D.C. for childhood obesity, with 19.3 percent of children 10-17 being obese in Illinois according to the 2011 National Survey of Children's Health. The great news is we can change this! Yes, obesity rates in the US are alarming- a public health emergency, but regardless of the numbers on the scale, all our children and even our entire community can benefit from the promotion of health and wellness. The problem is not too big for Champaign County. We can commit to stopping and even reversing the obesity trend through some very simple efforts to help our children, our families, and our communities.
Reviews, get directions and information Healthy Champaign County.
