During National Public Health Week, students in a public health nursing class at Cal State Long Beach traded snacks for healthy lifestyle pledges in a booth by the CBA building.
The booth, which will be there all week, will have information on public health and how to make healthy life choices. Senior nursing major Gracie Ortega said the purpose of the booth is to garner support for NPHW and the goals it promotes. According to NPHW’s website, these goals include providing quality healthcare for everyone, preparing for the health effects of climate change and encouraging healthy food options.
Ortega said that each day there will be different groups at the booth, each promoting a different aspect of public health. Her group’s focus was on eating healthy and exercise. Those who stopped by the booth had the chance to spin a wheel to win different prizes such as sunscreen, hand sanitizer and trail mix.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 34 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. Obesity related conditions include Type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. Obesity is the number one cause of preventable death.
“Education is key,” Ortega said. “Today’s choices — your food choices, your activity level — it impacts the future … we see at the end what happens from those everyday little choices.”