Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Statistics show that Kentucky ranks sixth in the nation for heart disease and that 41% of adults in Perry County have heart disease. To help prevent heart disease, the Perry County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, with a health department educator, planned and presented a heart-health awareness event in February, which 73 attended. Using the new dietary guidelines, the focus was on reducing sodium. Sodium content and serving size of common foods were examined. Survey statistics revealed that 95% retained and were using the information obtained from this program to make changes in the way they ate. With average yearly medical costs per individual with heart disease nearing $15,000, those 73 participants could realize a potential savings of over $1 million in medical costs.

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