In Oklahoma, one in three youths is overweight, obese or at an increased risk for immediate health issues like bone or joint problems and sleep apnea. Additionally, these youths are prone to long-term health problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and adult obesity. Children learn healthy habits at a young age, and as role models, parents must set an example by choosing healthy foods, being physically active and drinking water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages.

Shape Your Future, a health education awareness campaign funded by TSET, is helping to reverse the trend in childhood obesity in Oklahoma by offering fast and affordable recipes for meals and snacks and ideas for how to be active throughout the day. On the Shape Your Future website, ShapeYourFutureOK.com, you can find a variety of free tools to educate families, day cares, after school care and schools about the importance of eating healthy, staying active and being tobacco free. 

The TSET Board of Directors approved 17 incentive grant awards for communities, school districts and school sites at their quarterly meeting in August.

In total, $118,500 was awarded to 5 communities, 9 school districts and 3 school sites as part of the TSET Healthy Communities and Healthy Schools Incentive Grant programs.

“We are proud to recognize communities and schools that are making the healthy choice the easy choice,” said TSET Executive Director John Woods. “By taking the actions recommended by the Certified Healthy Oklahoma Program and TSET Incentive Grant programs, these communities and schools are making meaningful changes that encourage Oklahomans to live a healthy lifestyle and prevent tobacco use and obesity before they take root. Combined with other prevention efforts, these communities and schools are working to reduce the demand on an already stressed health care system; saving lives and saving money.”

TSET Healthy Living Program grantees, the Comanche County Memorial Hospital and the Comanche County Health Department, have been working with community partners at Fort Sill Army Post to create a healthy environment for the military community. These partnerships helped Fort Sill become one of 14 sites to pilot the Healthy Base Initiative.

The focus of the Healthy Base Initiative was to promote a healthy and fit military force, which is essential for national security, according to the Department of Defense. This demonstration project examined select military installations’ efforts to support improved nutritional choices, increased physical activity, obesity reduction and decreased tobacco use for military members and their families.The initiative was part of Operation Live Well, a Department of Defense program that supports the National Prevention Strategy of improving Americans’ health and well-being through a prevention-oriented approach. The Healthy Base Initiative provided good data and the information was used in developing the current Building Healthy Military Communities Initiative.

Poor health outcomes, particularly obesity, is having a major impact on military recruitment. Currently only two out of every 10 high school graduates meet the physical requirements to serve. In ten years’ time, kids who are now in 4th grade will be eligible to serve. It is important that young people learn healthy habits, so they are fit to serve and protect national security. "Community partnerships are essential in creating a healthy environment for military members and their families," said Brenda Spencer Ragland, Family Morale, Welfare & Recreation Director at Fort Sill.

“A least 80% of my soldiers and their families live off the installation,” Ragland said. “We must work together to ensure a healthy community.”

Sign up for our Shape Your Future general monthly newsletter to receive family friendly ways to eat better, move more and be tobacco free. Shape Your Future also provides a bimonthly newsletter for educators that highlights free resources and classroom activities. You can sign up for both Shape Your Future newsletters here.

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