Lombard defines healthy goals

Expand opportunities for physical activity. Increase access to healthy eating. Promote active transportation.

The goals are simple — obvious, even — but after an eight-month research process, leaders of the Tri-Town YMCA and several community organizations in Lombard think the objectives may be the key to reducing obesity in the village.

Groups including Lombard school districts, village government, health experts and business leaders will work together to achieve the goals, developed from a survey taken in October.

They’ll start by establishing more open gyms, indoor walking opportunities and walking clubs to interest the broadest audience, Joanne Mitrenga, the YMCA’s executive director, said.

“You don’t have to be an athlete; you don’t have to be in fabulous shape,” she said about participating in an open gym or walking group. “It’s really accessible.”

Community members also will promote walking as a means of transportation and work with food pantries to provide better access to fruits and vegetables for low-income residents, Mitrenga said.

That may be as simple as improving sidewalks around grocery stores so people can walk their way to healthy food. Or it may involve increasing nutrition education in schools — an initiative dietitian Christine Cliff said she can assist with.

“We can provide nutrition education workshops for schools — staff, teachers, school nutrition staff — so they can start to improve their nutrition environment,” Cliff said.

A local wellness promotion organization called Healthy Lombard will sponsor a walking challenge to further the YMCA group’s goal of promoting active transportation, Jay Wojcik, healthy Lombard’s founder, said. “Stepping Up Summer” will reward residents who record at least 100,000 strides on a pedometer with raffle tickets for prizes from Best Buy.

The healthy lifestyle goals developed from the survey will guide future wellness initiatives in Lombard, village President Bill Mueller said.

“(The survey) has given us a place to start, a road map to get us on our way to making the places where residents of Lombard live, work, learn and play supportive of healthy lifestyles,” Mueller said in a news release. “Now we look forward to working together to make these goals a reality.”