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‘aukake2012
www.oha.org/kwo | kwo@OHA.org NAtivE HAwAiiAN » NEws | fEAturEs | EvENts
anti-obesity program recruiting 1,400 Hawaiians By Harold Nedd
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to improve the quality and longevity of life, native Hawaiians will enjoy healthy lifestyles and experience reduced onset of chronic diseases.
al Ono knows it is healthy to slip in workouts during her busy workdays. But a quick stroll on a treadmill has not always been practical for the 56-year-old ‘Aiea resident who has struggled with her weight since her mid-40s. Now, the court clerk is benefiting from an intense push by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to reduce the obesity rate among Native Hawaiians, who do not have to pay for weight-management services offered by a new program called Külana Hawai‘i on Ala Moana Boulevard in Honolulu. A $500,000 OHA grant is helping cover the costs over the next two years for Ono and up to 1,400 Native Hawaiians who live on O‘ahu to enroll in the weight-management program that encourages active living and healthier eating habits as part of a local initiative to reverse a national epidemic that accounts for millions of dollars in annual health-care costs statewide. “What I like about this particular program is that it tries to find ways to personalize your specific needs,” said Ono, who participates in the program’s weekend hikes and workouts at such fitness hotspots as ‘Aiea Loop Trail and Ala Moana Beach Park. “From the very beginning, I felt comfortable in the program,” she said. “I didn’t feel like I was being judged. I just feel better equipped to lose weight and be healthy.” Everyone enrolled in the program is assigned a health psychologist, nutritionist and certified fitness instructor. Taken together, their efforts are meant to discourage overeating, junk-food consumption and sedentary lifestyles. “The progress has been really wonderful,” said Aukahi Austin, Ph.D, executive director of I Ola Lähui, which secured the OHA grant that helps fund the program. “Participants are engaged. They are losing weight and they are feeling better about their health.” Among Austin’s partners in the effort is the Hawai‘i Medical Service Association, a major provider of health-care coverage in the state and a key sponsor of the program “At HMSA we believe it is our kuleana to help improve the health of Native Hawaiians, working in collaboration with organizations within and beyond the Hawaiian community,” said Tim Johns, HMSA senior vice president. “We’re especially excited to
obese have a $1,429 higher medical cost per year than their counterparts with normal weight, according to the Department of Health. With 75 percent of Native Hawaiians at risk of being obese or overweight, health-care costs in the state could soar as more Native Hawaiians develop weight-related problems such as diabetes, heart disease and some type of cancer. Since enrolling in Külana Hawai‘i in March, Ono has lost seven pounds, in part, by eliminating sugary drinks Val Ono rode a stationary bike at the Ku¯lana Hawai’i gym, which is fur- from her diet, eating more fruits and nished with workout equipment funded by OHA. - Photo: Andrew Pezzulo vegetables as well as exercising. Her goal is to shed 20 pounds by the end be working with Külana Hawai‘i, making posiof the year. tive, culturally grounded contributions to Native “There’s no reason I can’t be successful with Hawaiian health.” my weight-loss goal,” she said. “This program Already, obesity-related medical expenses has given me all the information I need. It’s chalin Hawai‘i are estimated at $329 million annu- lenged me to do what’s comfortable for me. It’s a ally, according to 2009 figures, the most recent wonderful program and I love it.” For information, call 525-6255 on O‘ahu or available, provided by the state Department of Health. To make matters worse, people who are visit iolalahui.org.