Wellness Programs

The Florida Department of Health Gadsden County is working to improve the health status of residents in Gadsden County. Our goal is to improve community health through nutrition, physical activity and prevention and education programs. We offer educational workshops and health information at churches, community centers and other locations throughout the county. Our Registered Dietitians, Health Educators and other health personnel offer a variety of programs and services to help people make informed decisions about managing their health.

The Florida Department of Health in Gadsden County promotes community health and wellness through a variety of programs and services. Highlights of our programs include:

Healthiest Weight Florida Initiative

The number one public health threat to Florida's future is unhealthy weight. Over the next 20 years in Florida, obesity is expected to contribute to millions of cases of preventable chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer, costing an estimated $34 billion. To address this important public health issue, the Department of Health launched the Healthiest Weight Florida initiative in January 2013. Healthiest Weight Florida is a public-private collaboration bringing together state agencies, not for profit organizations, businesses, and entire communities to help Florida's children and adults make consistent, informed choices about healthy eating and active living.

Get Going Gadsden

Get Going Gadsden encourages healthy weight and healthy eating habits through exercise and nutrition! Our goal of this annual 6 month challenge is to increase awareness about obesity and chronic diseases by educating Gadsden County on the results of unhealthy eating and inactivity.

Gadsden Community Health Ambassadors Training Program (GCHA)

This programs goal is to train community members to be health educators/community advisors within their perspective community and/or faith-based institution.

Community Health and Planning Initiative

Our goal is to reduce risk factors associated with chronic disease, promote wellness in children and adults, and provide a positive, sustainable health change in communities.

Diabetes Prevention Program

The National Diabetes Prevention and Lifestyle Change Program (NDPP) is based on research lead by the National Institutes of Health and supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The goal of NDPP is to help prevent type 2 diabetes by encouraging participants to lose 5% to 7 % of their body weight and increasing their physical activity by 150 minutes/week.

To qualify for the program, a person must be overweight and at risk of developing diabetes. Some of the factors that increase your risk for pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes are:

• Being 45 years of age or older.
• Having a family member with diabetes.
• Having a family background of African-American, Hispanic/Latino, American-Indian, Asian-American, or Pacific-Islander.
• Having had diabetes while being pregnant (gestational diabetes), or having given birth to a baby weighing 9 pounds or more.
• Not being physically active.

NDPP spans one year and participants meet as a group with a trained lifestyle coach for 1 hour once a week and then biweekly for 16 weeks (4 months) and then once a month for 6 months. Participants learn how to make healthy lifestyle changes that can help prevent or delay their development of type 2 diabetes, including choosing healthier foods, losing weight, being more physically active and managing stress. The group setting provides a supportive environment for individuals who are facing similar challenges.

Tips on Staying Healthy Program

This is a lifestyle approach program to modify behaviors, address health disparities and other social determinants in health.

Resources