Teche Health’s Community Health Fair
Join Teche Health’s Community Health Fair in celebration of Lift Up Louisiana month! This community health fair will provide health screenings, connections to social services organizations, and health & nutrition information.
About Lift Up Louisiana Month:
Last year, 45%-50% percent of Louisiana adults were considered overweight or obese. This ranks Louisiana as one of the unhealthiest states in the nation—a statistic that underscores many of our healthcare issues and negatively affects economic development. Now is the time to Lift Up Louisiana!
The state of Louisiana spends an estimated $2.4 billion annually for obesity-related expenditures (NCSL, 2022). Louisiana’s most prevalent chronic disease rankings: 42nd when battling cardiovascular disease, 46th nationally in percentage of adults with diabetes, and other chronic illnesses such as hypertension, stroke, and cancer are all derivatives of obesity.
Louisiana ranks 45th in overall prevalence with 35%-44% of children considered overweight or obese. Additionally, 21.8% of youth ages 10 to 17 have obesity, giving Louisiana a ranking of 47 among the 50 states and D.C.
Individuals struggling with obesity, when compared to those at a healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including the following:
- All-causes of death (mortality)
- High blood pressure (Hypertension)
- High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides (Dyslipidemia)
- Type 2 diabetes
- Coronary heart disease
- Stroke
- Gallbladder disease
- Osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint)
- Sleep apnea and breathing problems
- Some cancers (endometrial, breast, colon, kidney, gallbladder and liver)
- Low quality of life
- Mental illness such as clinical depression, anxiety and other mental disorders
- Body pain and difficulty with physical functioning
During Lift Up Louisiana Month in April, BMHAP will once again join Louisiana Primary Association, Inc. in raising public awareness and empowering patients to make healthier choices and managing chronic illness.
Lift Up Louisiana Month is designed to be a month-long, high-visibility health promotion and disease prevention campaign. Conducted with and by community-based agencies and organizations, this celebration reaches into urban, suburban and rural areas of the state.
Lift Up Louisiana Month is designed to:
- promote healthy lifestyles,
- provide crucial information to allow individuals to practice disease prevention, and
- showcase the resources for and providers of grassroots health care and information.
To find out more about the Lift Up Louisiana Month activities and events, visit the Louisiana Primary Care Association’s Community Health Center Events page at: lpca.net/chc-events.