LAWRENCE COUNTY – When it comes to the lifestyle of individuals in Lawrence County, everyone can do better than what they currently are.
Purdue Extension Lawrence County is hoping to switch the narrative and focus on bettering the lives of those they can, through the Food as Medicine and Living Well programs for families in the area.
Dr. Michael Wilcox, Purdue Extension’s Assistant Director and Program Leader for Community Development and a Community and Regional Economics Specialist, shared his thoughts on bettering the health of the community.
“What Purdue Extension is trying to accomplish is health and wellness training, which is becoming critical,” said Dr. Wilcox. “The average life span in Lawrence County is two years less than the national average, and we need to find a way to change that. We can’t just rely on hospitals to make things better, we have to work at it together as a community and find a way to support healthy living.
This pathways program is designed to engage decision-makers and local leaders, including parks boards and planning commission members, public officials and their staff, and members of organizations that provide services, programs, or management of public spaces.
Some health rankings for Lawrence County include:
- Ranked 53rd out of 92 counties for health and wellness
- Life expectancy 76.2 years old (two years less than the national average)
- Adults with obesity 38 percent
- A ratio of 2,840 primary care physicians per person
- 2,270 Dentists per person
- One of two counties to receive an Obesity Grant from the state
Through funds secured by the IU Center for Rural Engagement, the Living Well in Lawrence County program has been offered in Lawrence County since May 2022, where participants received a free meal kit with locally sourced food each week. In July and August, individuals had the opportunity to participate in person at different locations in Mitchell to walk together and do something active.
During the first six weeks, Purdue Extension-Lawrence County’s Community Wellness Coordinator (CWC), Annie Eakin, and Nutrition Education Program Advisor (NEPA), J.J. Goldsberry worked together to provide nutrition education-focused content to those in attendance. Families were able to learn about creating healthy meals on a budget and how to make inexpensive games utilizing pool noodles as an easy form of physical activity, and a weekly education program with Health & Human Sciences (HHS) educator, Grace Thompson, that began in September
Purdue Extension-Lawrence County’s Nutrition Education Program Advisor (NEPA), Community Wellness Coordinator (CWC), and Health & Human Sciences (HHS) educator worked side-by-side to provide education to Lawrence County Residents. The information provided during the 20-week program included nutrition education, food preservation, light strength training using elastic bands, money management, decluttering, and staying scam safe.
