The healthy living program mobilized underserved youth and adult leaders to provide leadership and take action around nutritional deficiencies, healthy food choices, and physical activity to address the youth obesity issue. Collaboration between the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and 4-H was instrumental in providing educational outreach through fairs and community events in addition to in-school enrichment for elementary age children using the “Choose Health: Food, Fun, and Fitness†curriculum. The healthy living program is implemented in rural, urban and suburban communities and is funded via partnerships with Coca Cola, Walmart and UnitedHealth Care. As a result of the healthy living program, 90% of youth and families behavior changed to include: making wiser food choices, the adoption of good food safety practices, increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and incorporating more physical activity in their daily regimen. To date more than 12,000 limited-resource youth have been reached, 200 adult and teen volunteers have been involved in the healthy living program.This collaboration has also provided much needed funds for the implementation of EFNEP classes.
