Page 77 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2022

GIVING BACK
Fights Childhood Obesity
story by Lynn Lofton
photos courtesy of Let’s Go! Gulf Coast
Let’s Go! Gulf Coast is all about healthy eating and
active living for Coast children, their families, and the communities in which they live, learn, work, and play. The nonprofit organization strives to improve behaviors that impact childhood obesity by increasing awareness of the benefits of healthy eating and active living while prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion in programming.
“A multi-setting approach is used to reach local youth and families based on the premise that if families are exposed
to the same health promotion messages through several settings, and if those settings have policies and environments that support healthy choices, they will be more likely to adopt or maintain the behaviors in their daily lives,” says Kelsey Keel, director of Let’s Go! Gulf Coast.
Keel explains that the core of their programs all center on
the use of the common 5-2-1-0 message:
encouraging 5 or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily; 2 hours or less of recreational screen time; 1 hour or more of physical activity; and 0 sugary drinks. “These behaviors are supported by science and endorsed as recommendations by medical professionals as a way to maintain, or start building, a healthy lifestyle” she said.
The local team partners with early childcare settings, schools, after-school programs, local workplaces, healthcare facilities, and community organizations in the three coastal counties.
“We’re always looking to partner with new sites and have lots of free resources and materials to provide them along with fun programs or initiatives,” Keel said. “We work with each partner to develop and implement a campaign that is specifically tailored for their site and their needs.”
Let’s Go! Gulf Coast
228.678.7447
www.letsgogulfcoast.org
kelsey.keel@letsgogulfcoast.org
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
December 2022 | 77