cancer | Live Well Lamoille

Improving Health, One Organization at a Time

Feb 13 2018

By: Valerie Valcour

Did you know that where you live, your zip code, is important to your health? Do you think that where you work, play and learn are also important to your health? How about when you stop in that corner market for a quick snack or when you meet for church service, do you think these places impact your health too? The Vermont Department of Health says yes.

The Vermont Department of Health has added two new organizations to the list of 3-4-50 partners. There are new Tip Sheets and Sign-On forms for retailers and faith-communities. Haven’t heard of 3-4-50?

3-4-50 is a simple but powerful way to understand and communicate the overwhelming impact of chronic disease in Vermont. 3-4-50 represents 3 behaviors – lack of physical activity, poor nutrition and tobacco use – that lead to 4 chronic diseases – cancer, heart disease/stroke, type 2 diabetes and lung disease – resulting in more than 50 percent of all deaths in Vermont.

Retail establishments, like the corner markets, can help you meet your goals for good health by displaying healthy snack options like fruit and nuts and they can keep tobacco products out of eye-sight, especially from children.

Faith-communities can set guidelines that make sure healthy foods are made available during coffee hours, potlucks and meetings. They can also create property-wide tobacco-free spaces. Having bike racks or offering physical activity options for gatherings can also help the overall health of the community.

Join the Lamoille Valley 3-4-50 Partners and sign your organization on to good health and wellness today! http://www.healthvermont.gov/3-4-50

Valerie Valcour is a Public Health Nurse and specializes in chronic disease prevention and emergency preparedness at the community level for the Department of Health in Morrisville. Valerie has lived in Lamoille County most of her life. She graduated from People’s Academy in 1983 and worked as a nurse at Copley Hospital for several years. In addition to her work, she volunteers as a board member of both Community Health Services of Lamoille Valley and the Lamoille County Planning Commission.

When Is 13 Not a Lucky Number?

Nov 08 2017

By: Wendy Hubbard RN, BSN, Vermont Department of Health

Many of us have heard the saying “Lucky Number 13.” When is 13 not a lucky number? Thirteen is no longer a lucky number when it is associated with the increased rates of 13 cancers. These cancers have been associated with being overweight or obese. The “Cancer and Obesity” report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on October 3^rd can be found on their website.

The CDC infographic discusses what communities are doing to encourage their neighbors to increase their physical activity and get healthy foods into their daily meal plan. I would like us to take a moment and look at the resources in the Lamoille Valley. There are many activities going on and simple, no cost ways we can encourage each other to have improved health.

Families, for example, can get out and walk or bike on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail.Find a walking buddy to encourage each other and get out there and enjoy the fall air.

Local schools encourage breakfast and offer healthy meal choices for breakfast and lunch. There are summer meal programs for children in many areas. The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program offers food benefits, nutrition education, recipes and breastfeeding supports to families that meet the eligibility requirements. You can call 888-7447 for more information on WIC services.

The 3-4-50 website has Vermont specific data along with tips and strategies to reduce obesity.

The 3 represents the 3 behaviors that are the leading causes of cancer:

Tobacco use
Poor diet
Lack of physical exercise and obesity

These 3 behaviors contribute to 4 chronic diseases:

Cancer
Heart disease & stroke
Type 2 diabetes
Lung disease

These behaviors and chronic diseases are the cause of more than 50% of deaths in Vermont.

3-4-50 Lamoille

Jun 07 2016

By: Valerie Valcour

Vermont has ranked as the number 1 and number 2 healthiest state for the past 7 years. That’s good news! Yet according to the Department of Health, 55% of all deaths in Vermont result from chronic diseases caused by 3 behaviors: lack of physical activity, poor diet and tobacco use. These 3 behaviors can lead to 4 diseases: cancer, heart disease and stroke, Type 2 diabetes and lung disease. These 4 diseases lead to more than 50% of all deaths in Vermont.

3-4-50 is a new prevention campaign to support the health of Vermonters. The 3-4-50 concept is a helpful tool when supporting families to live longer, healthier lives, in safe and vibrant communities.

3-4-50

So what is our local Department of Health doing to help families live healthier lives? One example is helping local businesses become Breastfeeding Friendly Employers. Check out the list of employers here. Another example is helping the Lamoille Regional Planning Commission include health, recreation and healthy food practices in the regional plan. Yet another example is the creation of the Healthy Lamoille Valley coalition, which is made possible by a grant from the Vermont Department of Health and the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration.

You may recall, I recently wrote about the benefits of walkable communities. Celebrate summer and get out to enjoy the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, sidewalks, backroads, and other local resources in your communities. Bring a friend or family member for added support, safety and fun. Grab an apple or banana instead of that candy bar the next time you shop for a snack. Go to 802 Quits for resources to help you or a loved one quit smoking.

Visit 3-4-50 to learn more about active living, healthy eating and tobacco prevention. Live Well Lamoille!

It is essential that you seek professional advice for all issues concerning your health. Do not take any of the information in this blog (either in posts or comments) as professional advice or official communication from Copley Hospital or any of the blog authors. Posts and comments on this blog are not intended to be professional advice, unless implicitly indicated in the blog post, and do not necessarily reflect Copley Hospital policy or corporate opinion. The opinions and/or views expressed on Live Well Lamoille represent the thoughts of the individual bloggers and commenters, not those necessarily of the organizations they represent or organizations affiliated with the blog.

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Tag - cancer