Imagine going to see your doctor and being told to take a hike—literally. A new program that brings together Dartmouth College, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), and local communities and governments will challenge people to make walking a greater part of their daily lives.
Known as Upper Valley Trails For Life, the project takes a holistic and long-term approach to encouraging people to exercise. From developing new trails in the community to linking existing trails, to providing shower and changing facilities at the area's major employers (which will start first at Dartmouth and DHMC), the program seeks to erase common barriers that keep people from integrating exercise into their everyday lives.
"Obesity is set to become the leading cause of preventable premature death in the United States, surpassing smoking in the next few years," says Joe O'Donnell, senior advising dean at Dartmouth Medical School (DMS) and director of community programs. "Daily exercise has proven to be among the most health-promoting activities one can participate in, so we're trying to increase that in the Upper Valley."
O'Donnell points out that in countries where walking is a greater part of everyday life, including European nations such as Switzerland and the Netherlands, rates of obesity and heart disease are lower. The United States leads the world in the percentage of adults and children who are overweight and obese. According to recent health surveys, in Vermont 23 percent of 8–12 graders are either overweight now or close to becoming overweight; New Hampshire's rate is 9 percent. Eighteen percent of Vermont adults and 18 percent of New Hampshire adults are obese. The problem, however, is not unique to the Upper Valley or United States. Worldwide, the number of overweight people now outnumbers the number of hungry people. The World Health Organization currently is in the process of releasing worldwide recommendations on diet and physical activity to try to counteract this dangerous trend.
"The Upper Valley has both advantages and disadvantages when it comes to promoting exercise," O'Donnell says. "On the one hand, the beauty of the environment is a major factor in getting people outside to enjoy it. On the other, long winters and cold weather can make it more difficult to get outside."
To get around this problem, the project is set to include both hiking trails and cross-country ski trails. Snowshoeing will be encouraged in the community as well.
O'Donnell says that the key to the success of Upper Valley Trails For Life will be involving the community in the project. With a team of nearly 30 individuals and organizations coming together to help solve the problem, including school representatives, community recreation department employees, an Albert Schweitzer Fellow from Dartmouth Medical School, and doctors and professors from DMS and DHMC, the collaborative effort seems to be taking shape.
"This is a community-wide opportunity," says O'Donnell, "and to maximize the benefits, we're going to need a community-wide approach.
- By James Donnelly
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