physical activity

shows a group of girls on a zipline platform, all wearing safety gear and face coverings

Summer camps get creative to carry on in pandemic

August 6, 2020 by Aaliyah Bowden

Summer camps get creative to carry on in pandemic - North Carolina Health News

Some kids have faced social isolation during the pandemic with schools closing and being unable to see their friends. Some youth camps opened their doors in the summer so kids could engage with peers and learn instead of having their eyes glued to a screen. Despite having to wear a mask at camp, campers were still able to swim and meet new friends this summer.

By Aaliyah Bowden Eleven-year-old Averie M. spent time this summer learning how to zipline, rock climb and do gymnastics at a summer camp in Transylvania County. “The activities were very fun and you tried new things that you didn’t think you would be able to do,” she said. Averie was lucky to go to sleep-away […]

Children sitting around a table cutting greens as part of a program that tackles physical activity in Durham.

Fighting childhood obesity by teaming up

December 16, 2019 by Sarah Ovaska

Fighting childhood obesity by teaming up - North Carolina Health News

How one Durham program, Bull City Fit, is partnering doctors concerned about children’s health with parks departments to change young lives.

By Sarah Ovaska On a rainy, cold and dark winter evening, several dozen children from age 5 into their teenage years gathered in the courtyard of a Durham Parks and Recreation building, counting out stretches, jumping jacks, lunges and leaps in unison. “1-2-3-4-5 …” Between the numbers were shouts relaying the rules of Bull City […]

A group of people is placing a playground equipment on the ground, behind them are trees and an excavator. This is part of their efforts to address obesity.

As the rate of lifestyle diseases rises, one obesity prevention strategy is gaining ground

August 6, 2019 by Liora Engel-Smith

As the rate of lifestyle diseases rises, one obesity prevention strategy is gaining ground - North Carolina Health News

A four-county program promoting wellness and preventing obesity through changing people’s surroundings is eyeing expansion to other parts of North Carolina.

By Liora Engel-Smith For many years, Clark Memorial Park in Tarboro had been crumbling. The community of roughly 10,000 boasts one of the oldest town commons in the country, yet the recreation area just blocks away from the county manager’s office was far from charming. Floods from two hurricanes — Floyd in 1999 and Matthew […]

A pink-shirted child sits on a mobile exam table while a doctor inspects her ankle.

MedFests Offer Helping Hand to Special Olympics Athletes

October 10, 2018 by Yen Duong

MedFests Offer Helping Hand to Special Olympics Athletes - North Carolina Health News

One big barrier for young athletes with disabilities competing is getting a physical. This program removes that worry.

By Yen Duong Guided by their teachers and volunteers, students with intellectual and developmental disabilities walked and wheelchaired from over a dozen buses to MedFest, a one-day event to help them take part in Special Olympics. More than 200 Charlotte students had their vital signs recorded by volunteer nurses and played in a waiting room […]

Shows a smiling african american woman holding a tiny baby standing in front of a christmas tree with lights and toys underneath it. For story on reducing infant mortality

Healthy Beginnings Program Helps Moms and Babies Succeed

April 3, 2018 by Taylor Knopf

Healthy Beginnings Program Helps Moms and Babies Succeed - North Carolina Health News

The state-funded program aims to reduce the infant mortality rate among minority babies, who have a higher death rate than their white counterparts.

By Taylor Knopf Two years ago, Jasmine Hopkins was living out of her vehicle with a toddler and a newborn in Pitt County. “At that time, I was going through some personal things. I just needed a little more support and help,” Hopkins, 25, said. A social worker referred Hopkins to a state-funded program called […]

Yolanda Dickerson (R) said she wants her daughter Ilana Adlee to learn healthy eating habits. But its tough when there's few healthy choices in her neighborhood.

Cooking Holiday Meals is a Challenge in N.C.’s Food Deserts

December 29, 2015 by Rose Hoban

Cooking Holiday Meals is a Challenge in N.C.’s Food Deserts - North Carolina Health News

More than a million North Carolinians live in areas without access to fresh food. By Rose Hoban Nothing says “holiday” more than a festive meal – perhaps a ham or a turkey with all the trimmings. But for people who live in areas without ready access to food, preparing those meals can be complicated by limited […]

Fresh produce at the State Farmers' Market in Raleigh. Proposed food safety rules might adversely affect farmers selling more than $500,000 worth of produce each year.

Few North Carolinians Get Enough Fruits and Veggies

July 13, 2015 by Editor

Few North Carolinians Get Enough Fruits and Veggies - North Carolina Health News

By Rose Hoban New data from federal public health authorities show that only about one 10 people in North Carolina eat a healthy amount of fruits and vegetables. Surveys done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 2007 and 2010 show that, on average, North Carolinians ate only one serving of fruit and […]

Senate Budget Targets Healthy Living Programs

June 25, 2014 by Jasmin Singh

Senate Budget Targets Healthy Living Programs - North Carolina Health News

State lawmakers have trimmed budgets for programs such as bike paths, pedestrian enhancements and obesity prevention in recent years. By Jasmin Singh Heart disease is the second-leading cause of death in North Carolina. Diabetes is the seventh. And about a third of kids in North Carolina between the ages of 10 and 17 are overweight […]

Child Care Centers Chip Away at Childhood Obesity

March 26, 2014 by Editor

Child Care Centers Chip Away at Childhood Obesity - North Carolina Health News

A symposium in Raleigh last week highlighted the ways child-care centers could contribute to reducing kids’ weight. By Rose Hoban You wouldn’t think a furniture company in rural North Carolina would be perched on the cutting edge of childhood-obesity prevention. But that’s what’s happening at the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams factory in Alexander County, […]

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