MARYSVILLE The federal government will be watching a new city program closely to see how well it does at cutting the fat off local citizens.
Unfortunately locals are the perfect guinea pigs for the program because 60 percent of Snohomish County residents are overweight, according to Marysville Mayor Dennis Kendall.
This is the fattest county in the state, he said.
And north county is the worst, added Wendy Bart, executive director of the Marysville YMCA.
The Marysville Healthy Communities Project is a new pilot program for Snohomish County that has just received an initial grant for $10,000 to help local residents get active and fight an obesity epidemic. That grant could potentially lead to another $75,000 to help fight the fat, according to officials with the city of Marysville and the Snohomish County YMCA. According to figures from the Snohomish County Health District, Marysville and cities in the northern part of the county had the highest rates of adult obesity, with 27 percent tipping the scales too much.
Last week congressman Rick Larsen toured the Marysville branch of the Y to learn how the city initiative is being watched by the federal Centers for Disease Control to see how effective the project is at promoting a healthy lifestyle. The pioneering Healthy Communities program wants to expand efforts like Marysvilles into other communities and is sending a researcher to the county to evaluate the project for two years. The second district Democrat has supported increased funding for similar projects in 18 communities around the country that were named Healthy Pioneers of Change. The program will expand to 64 communities around the country. The grant will help the YMCA foster the project.
Bart and Kendall spoke during a Sept. 12 tour of the Marysville Y, where the grant was announced. The $10,000 will pay for a team of Y employees to travel to Washington, D.C. for training. At first Bart and another employee will make the trip, with 10 more employees to follow in December. The Healthy Communities Project could get anywhere from $40,000 to $75,000 more, depending on how much Congress allots for the program.
What makes the program special is how it incorporates assets like the YMCA branch, the city and county parks departments, schools and any other facility or agency that could help fight unhealthy lifestyles. A Snohomish County Health District worker helped advise the Marysville School District when it gave sugary drinks the boot and now the city is trying to get people off the couch, away from the TV and into an active lifestyle.
Were committed to the process, Kendall said.
The reason is an obesity epidemic in Snohomish County, according to officials. Both young and old are at risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and other effects of being overweight. The project aims to fight fat on multiple fronts, by promoting healthy nutrition choices and increasing exercise opportunities.
Jerry Beaver is the president and CEO of the six Snohomish County YMCA branches, and he noted the Healthy Communities Project has erased the boundaries between different agencies. There are no turf issues when it comes to getting people in shape, he said. The results could play out elsewhere. If the CDC likes the results, they can make the Marysville program a template for other cites, counties and regions to follow and implement on their own.
Its a role model, hopefully, Beaver said.
We have the potential to be the focus for the country, Bart echoed.
Kendall said the city has created several programs to lure people to athletic programs who wouldnt ordinarily get involved in organized sports. More informal offerings like the Marysville Parks and Recreation Departments kick ball league and all-city track meets have brought people out of the woodwork. The four track meets attracted a lot of non-jocks, including many families and lots of people in their 30s and 40s.
It got people out it got them away from the television and the video games, Kendall said.
The YMCA will be a key facilitator for the program, which hopes to leverage the resources from around the county, Bart added. Partners include the Everett Clinic, the Tulalip Tribes and local school districts. It took years for residents to get out of shape and a cure wont happen overnight.
We are looking at every aspect we can to influence our society, Bart said.
The project also plans concrete examples such as a network of new bike and walking trails to connect schools, senior centers and neighborhoods. Three other areas include promoting the consumption of fruit and vegetables both in the home and at private restaurants, and creating more low-cost or free recreation opportunities.
Its a conglomeration of everything, Kendall said. It fits in real nice.