Pearl Harbor Begins Healthy Base Initiative

Service members and families from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam celebrated the start of the Healthy Base Initiative with a family friendly event to promote health awareness and fight obesity and tobacco use.

“I think it’s really important that we instill this healthy lifestyle in our children especially with so many schools cutting out physical education and limiting recess,” said Mariah Tatla, mother of a two-year old girl.

The Moral, Welfare and Recreation Department provides childcare and on the day of the kick-off the children were brought to the event where parents were encouraged to participate in the festivities which created a family activity that promotes good health.

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam is one of 14 installations across the Department of Defense selected to participate in the Healthy Base Initiative, a project with potential to spread to other DoD run facilities.

Members of the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band, popular music group, performed live music during the event.

Later a Zumba demonstration got the attendees moving with a combination of dance and workout routines.

“I think it’s very important that we get the younger kids out here and playing recreational sports or running around especially because with this society and generation is the video game era,” said Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Abrel Shelly Smith, Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions (CSADD) President of the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam chapter. “People and their kids are sitting down on their behind and getting obese so this is a way for them to come out and run around.”

The event turned into a family day for many of the people who participated. There was a farmers market with fresh fruit and vegetables available for purchase and different booths with information on healthy living including mental health, responsible alcohol use and the negative effects of tobacco.

The Healthy Base Initiative will continue for about a year and the installations will be assessed to see what programs worked best and they will be shared throughout the DoD.

This program and the DoD’s Operation Live Well are part of the president’s National Prevention Strategy and complements the first lady’s Let’s Move! Campaign to promote good health across the nation.

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Press Release, October 22, 2013