Did you know?

• Pennsylvania has the largest rural population and the second largest senior population (16%) in the United States.

• Diseases that have lifestyle antecedents, heart disease, cancer, cerebrovascular disease, and diabetes, are among the six leading causes of death in PA.

• A significant proportion of residents are physically inactive, overweight, not eating fruits and vegetables 5 or more times a day and have elevated blood cholesterol, all predisposing risk factors for chronic diseases.

• While many are eating a diet too rich in calories and fat, some are not getting enough calcium, folacin, or iron from their diets.

• Many Pennsylvanians are not following the principles embedded in the USDA Food Guide Pyramid and the dietary guidelines.

• Many consumers do not have basic food shopping, food preparation and preservation skills.

To help reduce diet related health risks to children, youth and families, Penn State University provides nutrition education programs. One program is the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). Another program is the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Program (PA NEP).

These programs target those with fewer economic and social resources, those who might be food insecure, and those at vulnerable life cycle stages: infants and children, adolescents, pregnant women, families with young children, single parents, the elderly, and caregivers.

These programs are designed to assist limited resource audiences in acquiring the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and changed behavior necessary to create a healthy diet for themselves and their families.