Jeffco exploring how to snack smarter

Consuming one sugary beverage per day can add an extra 39 pounds of sugar in a person’s diet each year.

And that can translate into some deadly results: According to Jefferson County Public Health, an adult or child who drinks one sugary beverage each day has a 25 percent increase in risk of contracting Type 2 diabetes, a 33 percent higher risk of dying from heart disease and a 55 percent higher risk of being overweight.

The health department reports that, in Jeffco, 28 percent of adults and 19.1 percent of children are drinking at least one sugary beverage every day.

Which is why the department’s health initiative is tackling the issue head-on this year through its Jeffco Community Health Improvement Network, which aims to make healthy choices easier for county workers and residents.

“To get a society to change, it’s easier to take small steps,” said Nancy Braden, Jefferson County Public Health’s communications manager. “We’re doing what we can to provide a healthier environment.”

The Community Health Improvement Network focuses on improving healthy eating, active living and psychosocial well-being, with a spotlight on low-income families with children. Partners in the network include schools, nonprofits, medical organizations, faith communities, government organizations, community members, students, scouting organizations and other sectors.

A first step in reducing the number of sugary drinks consumed is to assess their accessibility to the public.

And that’s where the Healthy Beverage Coalition comes in. Part of the overall network, it began free vending assessments March 1. As of mid-March, 19 vending machines in three organizations had been assessed. The coalition is working with municipalities such as city government buildings, recreation and community centers and youth-serving organizations.

“An easy way to begin improving access to nutritious food and drink options is looking at areas where much of the public is already” gathering, said Allison Wilson, the health department’s healthy beverage and food coordinator. “We wanted to choose places that have a huge public impact.”

But, she added, a small business of 50 people wouldn’t be turned down if it wanted to be assessed. And places where youth gather are especially important.

“Working with an organization that serves youth is key to helping families,” Wilson said.

One such organization is Colorado Adventure Point, an adventure education and activity facility owned by the Denver Boy Scout Council. It opened last April and offers more than 120 classes for school groups, Scouts and community members –; including adults –; throughout the year. The facility’s adventure executive, Jesse Greaves-Smith, estimated that at least 6,000 school-aged children will pass through the doors each year.

Colorado Adventure Point received a vending assessment on March 16.

“The idea of Adventure Point is to be an example to build healthy habits. To have a real assessment based on research is important,” Greaves-Smith said. It “helps us with our mission of giving back to the community.”

The assessments are done voluntarily, Wilson said. “Any organization that wants to change their environment and make a healthy choice the easy choice” can request one.

Assessment results take about two weeks, Wilson said. Based off the results, the coalition creates a report, which can be crafted to meet the needs of the organization. For example, a vending machine at a school may differ from one at a government building, which may differ from a machine in a fitness center.

The report is provided to the organization. The coalition can then help each site develop and implement nutritional policies. The coalition can also educate vendors so they can be more helpful in the process, she added.

“Our goal,” Wilson said, “is to help the organization know the nutritional value of their current food and drink options, and then provide support for what changes they are ready to make.”

The coalition uses healthy choice guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vending improvements can include replacing sugary beverages with no-sugar-added options, but also can be as easy as stocking bottled water at eye level, putting different signage on machines such as water bubbles versus soda bubbles, adding visible nutritional labeling of products or having pricing incentives, such as offering healthy options for less.

Although the Healthy Beverage Coalition is focused on drinks, all vending is eligible for a free assessment, Wilson said, including snack foods and snack bars at pools, for example.

Greaves-Smith feels fortunate that Adventure Point is located in a county that can provide resources and education to help the community.

“For me, it’s important to provide an environment that reflects our dedication to healthy lifestyles,” he said. “We teach youth to lead by example, and thought we should do the same.”

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