Minnesota’s SHIP promotes healthy eating for all our kids – Minneapolis Star Tribune
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The stress, isolation and unpredictability of COVID-19 led to weight gain among many Americans, and a few silly memes (including a portly Kermit the Frog). But undesired weight gain is no cause for laughs, particularly among kids, of whom nearly one in six is considered obese.
A new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) revealed that the pandemic exacerbated already alarming trends for children, particularly kids of color and those in low-income families. While Minnesota fared better than most states, we have hardly reached health parity. Kristine Igo, director of the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP), shares ideas to ensure that all our kids grow up healthy.
Q: Please tell us about SHIP.
A: SHIP was launched in 2008 by a bipartisan group of Minnesota legislators to address rapidly accelerating and costly chronic diseases, specifically obesity and tobacco use, which are primary contributors to chronic disease. We operate in all 87 counties and within 10 of the 11 tribal nations, partnering with health care organizations, schools and day care settings, city and local municipalities, worksites and businesses. The goal is to create more opportunities and reduce barriers so all Minnesotans can be more physically active, eat healthier and live free from commercial tobacco.
Q: But we should note that some Minnesotans are thriving while others are struggling. The RWJF report found that, in Minnesota, 11.7% of youth ages 10-17 are obese, tied for the eighth-lowest rate in the nation. (The national rate is 16%.) Yet, even here we face sharp disparities among our children.
A: Many of Minnesota’s young people with higher obesity rates live in food deserts, such as many rural and tribal communities, where they have no access to a nearby grocery store with healthy food options. But we are also challenged by food “swamps,” which are communities inundated with fast food and too many unhealthy food choices. We see that most commonly in our urban communities that may have a lower socioeconomic threshold, lower wages and few job options. As much as we talk about how well Minnesota is doing, we have disparities perpetuated by structural and systemic inequities.
Q: How do you begin to fix that?
A: SHIP is hitting all corners of the state, working with community leaders and local public health teams to identify where there is the greatest need for support and resources. We work with schools to integrate more activity into their school day, purchasing more bicycles and teaching kids how to ride. We also work closely with city planners, managers and mayors on transportation planning to change the landscape where people live. That might mean introducing more bike lanes, more walking spaces, slowing down traffic. …….
