'Mom's Night Out' focuses on healthy families

Register now for Feb. 28 event

[January 14, 2014]  On Feb. 28 from 7 to 9 p.m., "Mom's Night Out — Leading Your Family to Health" will give local moms an opportunity to learn about creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle for their families. This free event will be at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital and is being sponsored by Healthy Communities Partnership and ALMH.

Expert speakers will be on hand to teach participants about healthy behaviors. Todd Mourning, doctor of physical therapy with Memorial SportsCare at ALMH, will share tips for creating an active family lifestyle. Jennifer DiPasquale, registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator with ALMH, will provide a cooking demonstration to highlight fast and healthy family meals. Health coach and mental health professional Kenneth Dunn with Weight Loss & Wellness Center at Memorial Medical Center will provide tips for making successful behavioral changes. Participants will also learn about the 5-2-1-0 lifestyle and hear from fellow central Illinois mom Angelia Foster, who has successfully led her family through healthy change.

All participants will enjoy healthy appetizers, refreshments and will be entered to win an iPad provided by the ALMH Auxiliary.

"In the past 10 years, the percentage of overweight and obese individuals in Logan County has increased by 10 percent. Over 66 percent of our population is now overweight or obese," said Angela Stoltzenburg, manager of the Healthy Communities Partnership. "It's time to reverse that trend. Healthy Communities Partnership hopes that events like this one will give families an opportunity to learn how to make healthy changes. If we could address obesity in Logan County, we could have fewer chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

"At this event we decided to focus on moms because oftentimes they are buying the groceries and planning menus. They are also important role models to their children, and their behaviors have an enormous impact on the health of their children. We felt it was important to support local moms. Instilling healthy habits in our children is so important and much easier than changing behaviors later in life," Stoltzenburg said.

Space is very limited. To reserve a spot, interested moms should call 217-605-5008 by Feb. 24. Registration and social hour begins at 6 p.m.

[Text from news release received from Healthy Communities Partnership]

Healthy Communities Partnership is a collaborative community organization. It is supported in part by the Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation. "Like" Healthy Communities Partnership on Facebook to receive updates about its efforts to make Logan County the healthiest community in America.