Uproot Mississippi works to improve health across state
HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) - Uproot Mississippi spent Friday morning in Hattiesburg explaining the Mississippi State Department of Health's health improvement plan and easy ways people can lead a healthier lifestyle.
Mary Currier, state health officer, said there are many facets to the plan, but a big focus is creating a culture of health within our communities. Currier said it is important to realize small changes everyday make a big impact to improve personal health.
"If you think about doing everything healthy all at once, it's really pretty difficult, especially if you start from a stressful, no exercise, fried chicken and tater log place," Currier said. "So just taking a few steps or one step, you know, walking everyday."
She said those changes should translate from home to work.
"Instead of having a box of doughnuts in the middle of your table in your conference room at work, you'd have something that's healthy," she said. "Healthy snacks, healthy eating, healthy exercise, (is) something that we all need to think about."
Currier said it takes the whole community, not just doctors or nutritionists, to improve health in Mississippi.
"Everybody's involved in public health," she said. "You don't really think about that, but, you know, transportation, churches, schools, all the agencies, poverty and education has to do with health. So if you can get everybody on board with thinking about health in everything that they do, then we'll have a healthier state."
Other priorities included in the State Health Improvement Plan are infant health, chronic disease and educational attainment.
