By Mark Ambrogi
Every three years as a non-profit hospital, IU Health is required to do a community health needs assessment.
“We completed one of those in 2015 and that helps us to determine what our priority areas are that we want to address for the next three years,” said Joy Davis, IU Health community engagement manager. “One of those priorities that came to the top of the list was obesity prevention and you can also call it physical activity and nutrition. So we knew it was important in Hamilton County to try to focus on helping our residents and those who work here to create healthy lifestyles to help them get moving and be more physically active.”
So the Fresh & Fit Challenge was created to create a healthier, more active community. Davis said the Fresh & Fit Challenge is a step challenge so the goal is that anyone who participates takes at least an average of at least 5,000 steps a day during this challenge, which lasts throughout the farmers market season.
IU Health is conducting it at the farmers markets in Zionsville, Fishers and Brownsburg.
Davis said if they have a Fitbit or another step-tracking device, participants can go to iuhealth.org/fitchallenge and sign up to be part of the challenge.
“Then they can sync that device to the dashboard that we are using which is called Moveable,” Davis said. “At the end of the challenge, which is three to four months long, we will check one grand prize winner from each of the markets and that will be the person who took the most steps throughout the challenge. Anyone who took at least 5,000 steps per day during the Challenge will be entered into a prize. We’ll randomly select one of those as a grand prize winner.”
Each of the fitness prize packets includes a Fitbit Alta.
A total of 60 Fitbits were given away at the three sites during the first two weeks
“We know Farmers Markets are a great way to maintain a healthy lifestyle by buying that fresh produce,” Davis said.
Davis said the plan is to expand it to other farmers markets in 2017.
IU Health at Fishers Farmers Market
July 2
Weight Screening Food Portion Bowl given to anyone who gets weighed. Participant drawing: Winner gets IU Health padfolio.
Aug. 6
BMI Screening Infusion Water Bottle given to anyone who gets BMI tested. Participant drawing: Winner gets a resistance band.
Sept. 17
Cooking demonstration with Chef Peter Fulgenzi. Measuring spoons given to the five 50 people at the cook
Sept. 24
(Final market)
Announce two winners: The person with the most steps over the course of the challenge and anyone who averages more than 5,000 steps per day during the course of the challenge enters a drawing.
IU Health at Zionsville Farmers Market
July 9
Weight Screening Food Portion Bowl given to anyone who gets weighed. Participant drawing: Winner gets IU Health padfolio.
Aug. 13
BMI Screening Infusion Water Bottle given to anyone who gets BMI tested. Participant drawing: Winner gets a resistance band.
Sept. 3
Cooking demonstration with Chef Peter Fulgenzi. Measuring spoons given to the five 50 people at the demonstration.
Sept. 24
Final Market
Announce two winners: The person with the most steps over the course of the challenge and anyone who averages more than 5,000 steps per day during the course of the challenge enters a drawing.
