Well Educated

Lecture series offers community new outlook on New Albany health initiatives

Healthy New Albany’s latest endeavor aims to offer new perspectives on health and fitness – and emphasize their importance on individual, local and national levels.

The Health and Wellness Lecture Series kicks off Nov. 10 with No Children Left on their Behinds: Health and Wellness Promotion within our School District at the McCoy Center. Each lecture is expected to last about an hour, with a goal of 10 minutes of question-andanswer at the end.

Don’t let the name throw you off – the series will offer more than just lectures. Small group discussions, large presentations, panel discussions, roundtables, workshops and even cooking classes are some of the events that organizers hope to bring to the community.

Speakers will range from local pioneers to national experts, with topics covering all points on the health spec- trum – everything from heart health to organic cooking.

“We’re even trying to do a little workshop … with Oakland Nursery next year … on how to put in an organic garden in your home,” says Manana Fribley, community education chairwoman for Healthy New Albany and the bath and tennis director for the New Albany Country Club.

The ultimate goal is to educate the community on making healthful choices and improving quality of life.

“It’s an array of topics that can impact somebody’s health and well-being, from nutrition to fitness to diseases,” Fribley says.

The first lecture, at 7 p.m. Nov. 10, will focus on existing and potential health initiatives in the New Albany-Plain Local School District. Dr. Amy Sternstein, coleader of Healthy New Albany’s School Connection Subcommittee, will lead the discussion with help from New Albany teachers.

The discussion will go well beyond physical education class. Though it will highlight the schools’ efforts and possible future endeavors, it will not be a one-way street – Healthy New Albany will also be seeking suggestions as to new programs and how to implement them. The goal is to engage the community in a discussion as to how the schools should address wellness, Sternstein says.

“Our school district currently has an excellent wellness curriculum, which does span from kindergarten all the way to 12th grade, so part of what we’d like to do is showcase what the schools are offering, and have the wellness teachers present what their programs are,” she says.

The subcommittee – led by Sternstein, a physician at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a staffer at The Ohio State University’s Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition, and Zoe Guirlinger, president of Ultimate U Total Health – has been studying intently the effects exercise and wellness have on the brain and its ability to learn.

Making the schools a key part of overarching wellness discussions in New Albany is crucial, says Guirlinger – it will help students understand the importance of fitness throughout their lives, and that knowledge will be valuable if they are to help reverse growing trends of obesity and depression, two

“How do we go about empowering these kids to be well, to be healthy, throughout life, when we’re living in a … world that basically manufactures obesity and depression?” Guirlinger asks.

One issue that will be raised at the Nov. 10 session is wellness training at the high school level. New Albany Middle School has a rigid wellness curriculum, but the vast majority of the focus at New Albany High School is on academics. Healthy New Albany is therefore exploring how to help students develop independence in their wellness, Guirlinger says.

The cost to attend the kickoff event is a nonperishable food item to be donated to the New Albany Food Pantry. Admission to future events may vary, depending on the program.

Those interested in suggesting a topic for a future session or even giving a lecture themselves can contact Fribley by e-mail at mananaf@nacc.com.

Garth Bishop is a contributing editor. Feedback and comments welcome at editor@healthynewalbany.org.

Kristina Jenny

Jenny has spent a lifetime helping others get healthy. The registered dietitian mainly works in the area of preventive health with experience in corporate wellness and public health. Nowadays, she is home with her five children, ages 7-17, to keep her “brood of runners, academics, swimmers and lacrosse and soccer players” in shape.

She and her family have lived in New Albany for five years. Earlier this year, she joined Healthy New Albany and was one of three coordinators of the New Albany Farmers’ Market.

Jenny recently trained for September’s New Albany Walking Classic and continues to train for the Classic’s half marathon next year.