Discover free resources and recipes made to help Oklahomans live healthier
OKLAHOMA CITY — As September ushers in National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and Fruits & Veggies — More Matters Month, Shape Your Future reminds Oklahomans of the wealth of resources available to help families and communities encourage healthier eating habits and active lifestyles.
Shape Your Future is a program of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET).
Parents looking for healthy recipes, teachers seeking healthy classroom activities or people wanting more physical activity can find tools and tips at ShapeYourFutureOK.com to make healthy choices easier for everyone. From meal planning guides to activity ideas, these resources are designed to fit seamlessly into daily routines.
“Many families face barriers, like busy schedules or a lack of financial resources, that can make it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle. With Shape Your Future, our goal is to ease some of those burdens,” said Julie Bisbee, TSET executive director. “Our resources support Oklahomans ready to make small but impactful changes toward a healthier, more balanced life.”
One in three Oklahoma children aged 10-17 are considered overweight or obese. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children experiencing weight challenges are more likely to be obese into adulthood. Excess weight is linked to a wide range of health issues, including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, poor mental health, joint issues, sleep disorders and certain types of cancers. Factors contributing to excess weight include limited access to nutritious foods and lack of physical activity.
Adults play an important role by modeling healthy behaviors for kids. Activities like family walks, making dinner at home instead of ordering fast food and swapping sugary drinks for water are easy ways to help kids stay healthy. Small habits can make a big difference in a child’s well-being.
For more resources, tips and ideas on living healthy for all Oklahomans, visit ShapeYourFutureOK.com.
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Shape Your Future is a community health education intervention that encourages Oklahomans to eat better, move more and be tobacco free. Shape Your Future strives to educate parents, teachers, caregivers and all Oklahomans on how to make the healthy choice the easy choice. Find more information online at ShapeYourFutureOK.com.
The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) serves as a partner and bridge builder for organizations shaping a healthier future for all Oklahomans. TSET provides leadership at the intersections of health by working with local coalitions and initiatives across the state, cultivating innovative and life-changing research and working across public and private sectors to develop, support, implement and evaluate creative strategies to take advantage of emerging opportunities to improve the public’s health. To learn more, go to Oklahoma.gov/TSET.
TSET – Better Lives Through Better Health