Salt Lake County urges 'small change' for health

If you happen to bump into Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon in the near future, ask him how many miles he's walked and he'll pull back his suit coat to reveal a pedometer.

"I've realized I need to do more exercise," Corroon said.

The purple device is just "One Small Change" the mayor has adopted in the past few weeks in support of the Salt Lake Valley Health Department's new campaign by that name, urging residents to each make a simple lifestyle change to improve their own health or the environment.

The mayor also appears in a new YouTube video, the first to be produced by the health department — available at slvhealth.org and www.youtube.com — urging residents to commit to do something as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Creators hope the "viral video" will be shared widely among residents, their family and friends.

"One Small Change: For the Health of It," urges small daily improvements, like reducing TV or video game time, flossing daily, using a seat belt, keeping a food journal, decreasing sodium intake, drinking more water and fewer sugary drinks, eating more fruits and veggies, driving the speed limit, biking or packing a healthy lunch to work.

Environmental stewardship is also stressed as a way to improve societal health. Residents are urged to begin recycling, use energy-saving light bulbs, or use public transportation.

In a state that prides itself on healthy lifestyles, more than 58 percent of Salt Lake County residents are overweight or obese, prompting health officials to institute the latest push for healthy lifestyle change.

The broad-based focus of the campaign seeks to reach all county residents, particularly those well-versed in Internet and social media tools, with a presence on Facebook and Twitter as well as a photo challenge posted on Flickr that encourages hands-on interaction with the project's goals. Studies show that young people who grow up with unhealthy lifestyle habits usually perpetuate them as adults.

"Improving your life does not have to turn your health upside down," the mayor said during a press conference Wednesday announcing the campaign. "Making a small and achievable change helps people to see positive impacts on personal health."

Health Department Director Gary Edwards said the obesity rates are attributable, in part, to 53 percent of residents who are not physically active enough.