March 24th Wellness Meeting

Hi all! Thanks for attending today's meeting on our plans to prevent childhood obesity. We really appreciated everyone's time and we look forward to working with you all on this plan. The following information was what we generally discussed at the meeting - I hope you all have some comments about the overall direction we think we're headed so we can keep moving forward!

Why are we here?

•Childhood obesity is a national epidemic
•Approximate annual deaths due to sedentary living and poor nutrition - 400,000
•Approximate direct annual medical expenditures due to inactivity & poor nutrition, borne by taxpayers - $40,000,000,000
•Wilton Y awarded Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant for local initiatives/policy changes to prevent childhood obesity

Why Wilton?

•Childhood obesity not prevalent here - concern is overweight/unfit kids
•45% of Wilton’s students do not meet physical fitness standards
•Driving is the default even for short trips
•Townwide streetscape is not conducive for walking/biking trails
•Screen time & snacking is concern
•Low awareness of available recreational assets

So really, why Wilton?

•Wilton’s reputation for strong community collaborations – we all work together!
•Completion of Route 7 provides a major new sidewalk system
•Public school wellness policy & food upgrades
•Farmers Markets and Community Gardens
•Many natural assets for active outdoor family recreation

Our mission

•Improve health and wellness in Wilton Youth through lasting initiatives that increase physical activity and encourage good nutrition.

Our vision

•The Wilton community will be a leader in promoting healthier lifestyles and lessening the risk of children becoming overweight.

3 Areas of Focus

•Increased Physical Activity
•Increased access to Healthy Foods
•Policy/Long-term Initiatives

The Plan - Increased Physical Activity

•Establish a safe “Pedestrian/Wellness Zone” using existing sidewalks & trails
–Olmstead Hill at the north; Wilton Y at the east; Wolfpit Rd. at the South; Middlebrook School at the west
•Establish a centrally located “Wellness Wall”
–Display directions to parks, walking distances to key locations, exercise and healthy eating info
•Place bike racks at key locations
•Work with collaborative partners to create safe walking links and coordinated youth program activities
•Encourage local medical professionals to “prescribe” exercise for at-risk kids

The Plan - Access to Healthy Foods

•Work with local restaurants to encourage healthy options
–Menu labeling; low calorie meals
•Review food/snack offerings at daycare, before & after school facilities
•Increase awareness of farmer’s market and local farm stands
•Encourage home gardens & participation in community gardens

The Plan - Long Term Initiatives

•Work with Town Officials to form a Wellness Commission to focus on longer term policies
•Support continued planning of Greenway
•Encourage local planners to adopt “Complete Streets” initiatives
•Promote interconnection of safe walking/biking routes
•Create “Advocate for Fit Kids” endorsement logo for organizations/programs

Comments/Feedback?