Moving Upstream - Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit

2. Healthy Living
Health Goals
2. Residents eat healthy foods.
Adequate nutrition is essential to the overall health and vitality of residents.
Healthy foods provide bodies with proper nutrients needed to develop and
maintain both physical health and mental well–being. Eating well is associated
with a lower incidence of nutrition related chronic conditions such as heart
disease, stroke, obesity, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer and depression.
There are many factors that determine food choices/what people eat including:
knowledge, skills, determinants of health and perceived barriers. It is also
important that the environments, in which people live, work and learn, support
healthy eating.
The Health Unit will focus on the following program strategies to encourage and
empower residents to eat healthy foods:
Provide in collaboration with partners, information to all residents
regarding healthy eating and the factors the influence food choices using a
variety of sources including webpage, media, social media, presentations,
consultations, prenatal education, family drop-in sessions, and home visits.
Provide nutrition support to priority groups (such as pregnant and
postpartum women, individuals of low socio-economic status and youth)
and agencies/service providers that work with these groups.
Work with community partners to develop policies that support healthy
eating and healthy food access in public places, food premises, schools and
workplaces.
Collaborate with professionals in the community with tools and materials
to support evidence-based practice.
3. Residents maintain oral health.
Having a healthy smile is not only important to appearance and self–esteem,
but also to overall health. Periodontal disease (or gum disease) has been linked
to many health conditions such as respiratory infections, cardiovascular disease,
diabetes, and low birth weights. Pain from infections and dental caries also have
a negative impact on one’s ability to focus on learning at school or working
at their job. Unlike other aspects of the body, care for teeth and gums is not
covered under the provincial health insurance program (OHIP). This means that
individuals must pay out of pocket or have private insurance in order to get
the care they need to keep their mouth healthy. Unfortunately, many in the
community do not have insurance or the ability to pay to see a dental provider
leaving them at risk for developing oral health issues. The oral health screening
program conducted by Health Unit staff in schools identified that 25% of the
children screened had evidence of dental decay.
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Moving Upstream: 2013-2018 Strategic Plan
Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit