Skip to main content

Michigan 4 x 4 Plan Features Residents, Organizations Success Stories on New Blog

For Immediate Release: September 2, 2014

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) launched a new blog to highlight the successes of Michigan residents and organizations committed to improving the health of residents as part of the Michigan’s Health and Wellness 4 x 4 Plan. Residents and partners across the state are making individual, organizational, and community-level changes to increase opportunities for healthy eating and active living, to reduce obesity and chronic disease in Michigan.

“Reducing obesity continues to be a top health priority for Michigan,” said James K. Haveman, Director of the MDCH. “Good things are happening in our community to encourage change, and to keep the momentum going, we are launching this blog to highlight the successful changes our partners and individual residents are accomplishing each day.”

Governor Snyder launched the Michigan Health and Wellness 4 x 4 Plan to create policy, system and environmental change to make the healthy choice the easy choice to create a stronger, healthier Michigan. Obesity is one of the most pressing health issues we face in Michigan. Two-thirds of Michigan adults are overweight or obese, as are about one third of our children. Obesity is associated with serious health issues and the associated economic costs are staggering.  

The success stories blog highlights individuals across Michigan, including select stories from the more than 30,000 Michigan adults who have already took the MI Healthier Tomorrow pledge to lose 10 percent of their body weight. The blog will also feature stories highlighting the efforts of schools, businesses and coalitions working to create healthier communities that support healthy eating and physical activity where our residents live, work, learn and play.

Michigan has already begun making progress since launching the 4 x 4 Plan, including moving from the fifth to the tenth most obese state in the nation over the past few years. However, the efforts to address obesity need to continue.

“Weight loss is an incredibly personal journey,” said Chip Arledge, one of the featured stories and a man who lost 200 pounds by eating better and being more physically active, two key parts of the Governor’s 4 x 4 Plan. “If telling my story in a candid and forthright manner inspires someone to take better care of themselves, I think it’s best that I share.”

To read other Michigan success stories, and for helpful tools and resources, visit the blog at www.michigan.gov/healthymichigan.

 

# # #