Eat Healthy. Your Kids Are Watching

Eat Healthy. Your Kids Are Watching. was the first social marketing campaign done by the Michigan Nutrition Network.

Recent research from a variety of sources is supporting this simple proposition. Be the example, and show your children what healthy eating is all about. Don't just tell them. Children love to mimic their parents. If you sit and eat with them and are open to new foods and experiences, they will take the hint from you.

Even the USDA Food and Nutrition Service in their recently released core messages recommends one very similar message. So...Michigan must be well ahead of everyone else right? This campaign was piloted in 1998.

But alas, other than making some materials and the final report available on the Michigan Nutrition Network web site the campaign was not continued following the pilot. Even though the pilot research was strongly supportive, when the campaign was continued it was softened to be Eat Healthy. Eat Breakfast.

Today I'm speculating why that happened. Maybe it wasn't a lost cause. I'm going to resurrect it and use it now, ten years later. Maybe that means it was a success.

The Unexpected Outcome

Neuroscientists and psychologists from the University of Pennsylvania just reported results of a study that says the human brain's sensitivity to unexpected outcomes plays a fundamental role in the ability to adapt and learn new behaviors. (Science Daily March 15, 2009)

The brain seems to be wired to learn when unexpected things happen but not when things are predictable.

So...when was the last time you introduced something unexpected into something you were teaching people? Not recently? Too predictable? Now is the time to change.

Commit to the unexpected. Surprise people. Make learning happen...with the unexpected.

Sharing Personal Health Records and Information

Google Health has launched a new service that will allow anyone to share medical records and personal health information with people they trust. (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/google-health-helping-you-better.html)

This service is sure to ignite new debates over access to medical information but it is also going to provide a new window on how people's behaviors change when they can monitor their own health progress. The service will enable people to store their medical information in one place that can be accessed from anywhere, but it will also provide a new graphing feature that helps patients visualize their medical test information. This is great for, say, someone who has high cholesterol. They can use Google Health to enter their lab results on a monthly basis and see the trend over time.

Check it out. It is the wave of the future!

WIC Food Package Opportunity

On August 1, 2009 Michigan WIC (Women Infants and Children Program) will implement a new food package policy. Changes are outlined on this web site http://tinyurl.com/cnbbva.

For those of us involved in SNAP-Ed this change presents a significant opportunity. Michigan WIC is only allowing fresh fruits and vegetables to be purchased with the new fruit and vegetable vouchers. They are also requiring that in order for stores to qualify as vendors for WIC they must carry two varieties of fresh fruits and two varieties of fresh vegetables. With over 4500 WIC vendors across Michigan this new requirement is sure to result in more stores having, at least some, fresh fruits and vegetables. Many of these stores will be in locations where fresh fruits and vegetables have not been available.

SNAP-Ed programs can take advantage of this improvement as an opportunity to cross-promote the new fruit and vegetable access with their WIC partners. By increasing awareness among SNAP recipients that these fresh products are available we can help drive more business to the vendor - which will be good for our programs - and we can encourage more consumption of fruits and veggies - which will be good for SNAP recipients.

Let's help make this a WIN-WIN.

Michigan Combined Application Project Opportunity

Michigan Combined Application Project (MiCAP) is a USDA Food and Nutrition Service approved demonstration project that allows SSI clients to automatically receive Food Assistance (FAP) benefits. MiCAP is a special initiative for Michiagn Department of Human Services and one of the DHS Director's special initiatives.

The Social Security Administration defines who is served by SSI. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a Federal income supplement program funded by general tax revenues (not Social Security taxes):

• It is designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people, who have little or no income; and
• It provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter

MiCAP will eliminate administrative barriers to Food Assistance Program participation for this underserved population. Once fully implemented it will bring an additional $47 million to the Michigan economy.

Implementing the program will be easy for new applicants but DHS needs help with the 65,000 people already receiving SSI but not Food Assistance. Information will be mailed to them starting this month but there may be questions raised at the local level. You can play a role by being ready to answer questions or direct people to DHS or the Center for Civil Justice Helpline for information.

I will post more information here as it becomes available.

The Place for Regular Communication About MNN

This is a new venture for the Michigan Nutrition Network but one that we hope will help all of us be more effective in helping low income people in Michigan eat healthier and be more physically active.

There is so much information that comes up on a regular basis that should really be shared with everyone. That will be the purpose of this blog. If I learn about it and think it is important, I will post it so everyone will know about it. That means that if you hear about something you feel should be shared you can send it to me and I will pass it on.

The more information that makes it to this blog the better we will all do in our work.

Look for my first informational post soon.