Papers, Presentations & Final Reports
Fit to eat
Authors: Rodriguez, L., Meadows,D.(2003).
Title: Fit to eat.
Presented at: The Society for Nutrition Education Conference.Philadelphia, PA. 2003
Abstract: The goal of Fit to Eat is to promote smoke-free dining and healthy meal choices in restaurants and was fully implemented during this fiscal year. There are currently twenty-four participating restaurants representing 15% of the restaurant industry in the county. The Fit to Eat planning committee meets once per month and consists of the Northwest Georgia Health Department, the University of Georgia Department of Foods and Nutrition, a local restaurateur, and county Environmentalist. Due to their ongoing relationship with the restaurants, Environmentalists were instrumental in recruiting restaurants for the project. Participating restaurants benefit from advertising in local media and promotional incentives. Full-page advertisements run in the local newspaper twice per month and contain tips on smoking cessation and nutrition messages. These ads reach approximately 29,754 residents. Six billboards have also been strategically placed in the county. It is estimated that the billboards reach approximately 99,183 contacts in Floyd County. Quarterly meetings are also conducted with participating restaurants to provide program updates and nutrition education for owners, managers, and staff. Registered dietitians evaluate menu items, modify recipes, and create new menu items that meet the Fit to Eat criteria. Current criteria are based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Owners/managers from 19 participating restaurants completed evaluation surveys in January 2003. Eight responding attributed improvements in their business to participation in the Fit to Eat program. All are likely to recommend the program to other restaurateurs and all plan to continue participation in the program over the next year. Restaurants found newspaper and billboard advertising to be among the most effective components of the program. A Fit to Eat manual is being developed and will be used to expand the program to other Northwest Georgia Counties. A community-wide evaluation to assess program awareness and use is currently underway.
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