SHAPING KENTUCKY’S FUTURE A COMMUNITY GUIDE TO REDUCING OBESITY

LOCAL SUCCESS STORIES

Why tell your story?

“We have difficulty remembering…abstractions, but we can more easily remember a good story. Stories give life to past experience. Stories make the events in memory memorable to others and ourselves. This is one of the reasons why people like to tell stories.”

–Roger Schank,Tell Me a Story: Narrative and Intelligence

Storytelling As Best Practice

If your goal is to educate, persuade, or simply connect in a meaningful way with a particular audience, storytelling is the single most powerful communications tool available to you.

--Andy Goodman

Sometimes it is more effective to highlight a cause other than health, such as economics, education or community building.

Best practices for reducing obesity at the community level

The Hopkins County government’s wellness program improves employees’ quality of life and saves money for the taxpayers.

A Culture of Wellness

The Hopkins County Jail has reduced food costs while providing fresh fruits and vegetables and job skills to inmates.

‘Breastfeeding,’ says one advocate, ‘gives the biggest bang for the buck in the health care world.’

The Biggest Bargain

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“It’s amazing how much the business sector has told us that it’s the bike trails, hiking and recreation that set Berea apart. It is hard to overestimate how much this kind of infrastructure brings to a community.”

We Can Get There From Here with Complete Streets

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A Healthy Start

A Story Adds Context to Your Message

Mow It And They Will Come

The Winchester Traveling Trail is a low cost physical activity. Advice for other

communities

Selling points for initiative

Resources

Contact information

“At first it seems like you’re taking away from the academics, but Healthy Monday actually strengthensthe academics. You don’t waste as much time with kids beingoff task.”

Results

Local Media Connections Replication

This report will be a success when the stories it tells inspire others to say, “If people can do that in Buckhorn, Lexington, Covington and Hopkinsville, we can do it here!

Questions?

Elaine Russell MS RD Kentucky Department for Public HealthObesity Prevention Program www.fitky.org