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from the issue of April 10, 2008
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Extension program propels nutrition ed
BY ASHER BALL, IANR NEWS SERVICE
Karrie Ziemba didn't feel healthy.
Ziemba, a 30-year-old hostess in Hastings, said her family was eating only fast food and quick, easy meals.
"I was just making poor choices, especially with what I was feeding my kids," she said.
Then Ziemba went to her local UNL Extension office for help. She took part in a program that told her more about the food groups and how to cook healthier meals.
"I've lost over 10 pounds," she said. "My kids are doing great. Their teeth are getting healthier, they drink a lot more vitamin D milk. They're just getting a lot healthier. I feel better, too."
The Nutrition Education Program was designed by UNL Extension to aid low-income families that may not have ideal nutrition knowledge.
"Most Americans do not understand national nutrition policies," said Wanda Koszewski, the NEP director and UNL Extension nutrition specialist. "But for needy families in poverty, the stress of their environment just compounds their lifestyle."
"It makes them more prone to diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease."
Koszewski said a low-income environment, including crime and a lack of transportation, health care and child care, adds to unhealthy nutrition.
NEP includes two programs: Food Stamp Nutrition Education, which began in 1995, and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, which began in 1969.
The food stamp project, located in 42 Nebraska counties, aims to teach participants to eat healthier and manage their food budget. The program reached 3,105 families, 11,668 youths and 1,022 seniors during the 2006-2007 year alone, said Cami Wells, a UNL Extension educator in Hall County.
"We wanted folks to not just get a recipe or something like that, but the tools and background to make good, low-cost choices," Wells said.
UNL Extension implemented the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program to help better provide nutrition education to limited-resource families with children at risk for not getting their daily nutritional needs. It helped 829 program participants improve in nutrition practices, food resource management or food safety behaviors following graduation from the program.
About 86 percent of participants made a positive change in consumption of at least one food group, while 32 percent improved in planning meals and using a grocery list, according to entry-to-exit surveys for the program.
"I feel our best accomplishment is when we help families learn how to budget their resources so that they have not only enough food to eat, but are able to buy foods that are nutritious and good for their health," Koszewski said.
One focus for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program has been youth. According to youth impact data from the program from 2006, 94 percent of 2,078 youth improved in eating a variety of foods. Of 1,424 youths, 86 percent increased their nutrition knowledge.
Koszewski said working with children is a focus for the food stamp program as well. She said children receive the most food stamps out of all population groups.
"If everyone could understand the need for the food stamp program, I think more people would support it," Koszewski said.
The NEP is expanding its entire program to include more mailings and online media in hopes of reaching more Nebraskans.
"Certainly we're not covering every area of the state," Wells said. "We're hoping to reach more families with the Internet."
For more information, go to http://nep.unl.edu.
GO TO: ISSUE OF APRIL 10
NEWS HEADLINES FOR APRIL 10
Making the move downtown
Crews to deliver Nebraska Lecture
Francis aids experiential ed program
Game On
CASNR Week events open with April 12 bull fry
Extension expertise on national Web site
Extension program propels nutrition ed
National Libraries Week events begin April 14
New online system tracks room usage
RESEARCH DISCUSSION
ROTC Lab Day
733142S38113X
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