August 11, 2008

County Report

Benefits from an active life style

By Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager
Special to the Times

People often ask me why I focus so much on health and recreational issues as a county supervisor. There are many reasons, but the main one is that I know first-hand the profound physical and emotional benefits a person can receive from leading an active lifestyle. For me, helping to improve someone’s health is the greatest contribution I can make.

Each day we learn more about the benefits of exercise—from warding off diseases, to improving our memory, to prolonging our lives. Being active also cuts down on health care costs, which, as a county supervisor, I appreciate, given the huge budget shortfall our county health system is facing.

The rising obesity rates in children and adults should be alarming to everyone. Unbelievably, one-quarter of all kids in the county are overweight or obese, as are one-third of all adults. Children and adults who are Hispanic, African-American or Native American are at even greater risks, approaching 70 percent in some cases.

One result of obesity and lack of exercise is the onset of Type 2 diabetes. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projections show that children born in the year 2000 have a one-in-three lifetime risk of becoming diabetic.

A recent New York Times article pointed out how people often don’t view diabetes as being as serious as it is. The article states that “diabetes is anything but minor. It wreaks havoc on the entire body, affecting everything from hearing and vision to sexual function, mental health and sleep. It is the leading cause of blindness, amputations and kidney failure, and it can triple the risk for heart attack and stroke.”

Given the effects of diabetes—not to mention hypertension, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and numerous other illnesses associated with obesity—I can think of no message more important than promoting the benefits of healthy eating and active living.

I encourage all residents to make exercise and better eating habits a part of their daily routines. One way to do to this is to explore our county parks. The Santa Clara County Departments of Parks and Recreation and Public Health Department have teamed up with Kaiser Permanente San Jose to offer the Healthy Trails Challenge, a free fitness program that encourages residents to exercise along Santa Clara County’s spectacular trails.

Participants register online and choose five of Santa Clara County’s 21 Healthy Trails based on their interest and fitness levels. Participants receive a free gift just for registering and another gift if they fill out a Healthy Trails Log and Evaluation for five trails by the end of October. This program is so exciting because it not only encourages residents to visit the county’s gorgeous natural resources, it also serves as a fun way for entire families to exercise together and teach their children the importance of being active.

To help introduce Santa Clara County residents to some of these trails, I have posted four short videos on my Web site (www.supervisoryeager.org) that feature some family-friendly hikes. The first video features a visit to the Wood Road Trail at Almaden Quicksilver Park with Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Director Lisa Killough. The site of the old Almaden Quicksilver Mine, this park has 150 years of history and residents can take in the historic and cultural sights such as the Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum, Spanishtown and the Rotary Furnace.

I then trekked the Los Gatos Creek Trail in Campbell with World Cup and Olympic soccer star Brandi Chastain. She brought along several families from the Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative, a local nonprofit group co-founded by Brandi that empowers the athlete in all women while promoting the benefits of health and fitness.

At the Coyote Creek Trail in San Jose’s Hellyer Park, I walked with Kimberly Ellis and Dr. Dao Nguyen of Kaiser Permanente San Jose along Cottonwood Lake, a largely shade-covered trail where you can often spot wood ducks and other waterfowl.

In the final video, I talked with Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, the county’s interim director of public health, about actions residents can take toward better eating habits. We hiked through Stevens Creek Park and its lush, densely wooded trails.

Nowadays, people are choosing to sit in front of a TV or computer rather than go outside and play for health and recreation. If you want to get outside and get fit, visit www.parkhere.org and click on “Healthy Trails” on the right side of the page to learn more about the Healthy Trails Challenge.