Story by Michaelyn Modglin, Contributing writer
The Murray-Calloway County Wellness Consortium challenges the community to get active by joining the the Physical Activity Community Challenge.
The program was established when a 2013 survey revealed substance abuse and obesity were two major health issues affecting Calloway County.
Miranda Terry, an organizer for the Physical Activity Community Challenge, m says Kentucky holds the fifth highest adult obesity rate in the nation. In Calloway County, 29 percent of adults, 18 percent of adolescents and 17.5 percent of children between the ages of 2 and 4 are considered obese.
At the time, resources were available to the community for substance abuse through Calloway County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, but no resources were offered regarding obesity.
“Encouraging people to increase their physical activity now can address these health conditions,” Terry said.
The program is scheduled to kick off on Oct. 1.
“Murray State has created its own version of the challenge by allowing individuals to create teams of four,” Terry said. “A team captain is the point of contact to receive and distribute weekly tracking sheets to team members.”
Opportunities are available to all employees and students to participate as a team of four or as individuals.
“It is being rolled out at the elementary schools, churches, corporations, especially Murray State University,” Terry said, who is responsible for the Murray State students taking on the challenge.
According to the “Lighten Up Calloway” website, every member of the community is permitted to participate. Involvement can consist of anything from your daily activities to running a marathon.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week,” Terry said. “The purpose of this challenge is to educate the community about the need for physical activity in our everyday lives.”
Registration forms must be submitted to Miranda Terry by Sept. 23.