According to a 2013 report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), Georgia ranked the 20th most obese state, with a 26 percent rate for adults in Gwinnett County. The 2013 Gwinnett County Health Department Community Health Assessment states, “Gwinnett’s current obesity rate of 26 percent places a quarter of the adult population at higher risk for serious conditions like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, osteoarthritis, respiratory problems, and stroke.” “We are taking a proactive wellness approach to address the preventable chronic illnesses that impact individuals of Gwinnett County,” said Kim Ryan, CEO of Eastside Medical Center. “People can significantly reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases by making simple lifestyle changes: eating healthy, increasing physical activity and reducing stress.” Live Healthy Gwinnett combines clinical expertise from Eastside Medical Center physicians and staff along with wellness recommendations and activities offered by Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation. This initiative will focus on four overall wellness areas: Be active, Eat Healthy, Get Checked and Be Positive.
According to the 2013 Gwinnett County Health Department Community Health Assessment http://www.gnrhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Preliminary-Gwinnett-County-Community-Health-Assessment.pdf, “20 percent of Gwinnett County residents get no leisure-time physical activity.”
“This initiative will allow individuals in the community to live to play and play to live,” said Tina Fleming, Director of Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation. “Live Healthy Gwinnett encourages the community to combat health issues by combining physical activities with counseling from professional physicians and staff.”
To launch Live Healthy Gwinnett, a POP-UP Park event will be open to the community on Saturday, April 26, 2014, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Eastside Medical Center. This free, family-fun event will consist of a variety of fitness demonstrations, inflatables, music, free medical screenings, giveaways and fun activities for all ages. Activities range from yoga to life-sized chess games and even a farmer’s market and food demonstrations by certified nutritionists. A kick-off event, 1, 2, 3K Glow and Show, will be held the night before on April 25, 2014 at 8 p.m., with on-site registration https://www.active.com/lawrenceville-ga/walking/races/1-2-3k-glow-and-show-2014 beginning at 7 p.m. The event will include a 3K glow in the dark fun walk/run at Alexander Park and a free movie. All proceeds will support the Live Healthy Gwinnett scholarship fund, through the Gwinnett Parks Foundation www.gwinnettparksfoundation.org, which will offer assistance to citizens who cannot afford classes, programs and/or activities. For more information on Live Healthy Gwinnett and to stay up-to-date on the launch event, visit LiveHealthyGwinnett.com and the Live Healthy Gwinnett Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/livehealthygwinnett
About Live Healthy Gwinnett
Live Healthy Gwinnett launched in 2014 as a partnership between Eastside Medical Center and Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation. The program includes clinical expertise from Eastside Medical Center physicians and staff partnered with wellness recommendations and activities offered by Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation. Live Healthy Gwinnett is designed to encourage and engage Gwinnett County residents to invest in personal wellness while focusing on four major wellness areas: Be Active, Eat Healthy, Get Checked and Be Positive. For more information on how your company or organization can get involved with Live Healthy Gwinnett, visit http://www.livehealthygwinnett.com.
About Eastside Medical Center
Eastside Medical Center has been a healthcare leader for more than 30 years providing quality care to patients in Gwinnett and surrounding counties. Eastside is a 310-licensed bed, multi-campus medical center offering comprehensive medical and surgical programs including heart and vascular, neurosciences, oncology, orthopedics, spine and wellness center, 24-hour emergency, pediatric emergency, rehabilitation, sleep disorder, women’s services, wound clinic, and behavioral health. With our exceptional medical staff of 500 board certified physicians, 1200 employees, and 400 volunteers, we are committed to being your center of excellence. In 2013, Eastside received full Chest Pain Center Accreditation from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care, earned The Joint Commission’s “Gold Seal of Approval” for quality and safety in disease-specific joint replacement care, the Blue Distinction Centers Program for spine surgery and has maintained Gold Plus status for stroke care.
For the convenience of our community, Eastside Medical Center offers several locations. The main campus is located at 1700 Medical Way in Snellville; the South Campus for Behavioral Health and Inpatient Rehabilitation at 2160 Fountain Drive in Snellville; the satellite Digital Imaging Center at 3445 Georgia 81 in Loganville; and our Breast Imaging Center located at 1700 Tree Lane in Snellville, Georgia. For more information about the services offered and health plans accepted, call 770-979-0200 or visit our website at http://www.Eastsidemedical.com.
About Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation
Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation (GCPR) delivers safe and healthy environments for all park and facility users to exercise, socialize and play in, as well as offers a variety of planned physical activities for persons of all ages and abilities. GCPR partners with local community members, organizations and businesses, to promote healthy habits and high quality broad-based parks, facilities, programs and services creating a sense of community and enhancing Gwinnett’s quality of life. For more information visit http://www.Gwinnettparks.com.
