Food, Health and Nutrition

Wellness, Nutrition and Physical Activity in Family and Consumer Sciences

UI Extension educators in family and consumer sciences provide reliable, research-based education and information to help residents from youth to senior citizens. Specifically, Shelly Johnson works in the arena of wellness, nutrition and physical activity.

Justification for Programming in Kootenai County

Idaho has seen a steady increase in overweight and obesity over the last 20 years. According to the 2022 Idaho Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Idaho adults aged 18 years and older have an obesity rate of 33% and 35% are overweight. Youth are also experiencing increased rates of overweight and obesity. America’s Health Rankings reports (2020-2021) 27% of youth 10-17 being overweight or having obesity. Being obese and/or overweight is a major risk factor for heart disease, hypertension, high blood cholesterol, diabetes and some cancers. These health issues are manageable and preventable if prevention measures are adopted. Shelly oversees the following programs with the aim of disease and obesity prevention.

Five for Five: 5 Minutes to Better Health

Physical activity has proven to have an impact on overweight and obesity and chronic diseases.

University of Idaho Extension is helping Idahoans increase their physical activity habits promoting physical activity through programing and breaking down the barriers to physical activity. Shelly is a main author of the Five for Five: 5 Minutes to Better Health, add on curriculum. The intent of the curriculum is to increase the rate of physical activity for all ages and includes a level of detail anyone can teach the curriculum. Five for Five can be added to any educational venue including elementary, middle school and high school setting. Five for Five is designed to be offered in just “5” minutes moving through five components of physical activity: Mindfulness, Cardiovascular Endurance, Muscular Endurance and Bone-Strengthening, Muscular Strength, and Flexibility and Balance.

Download the curriculum, a poster pack and/or PowerPoint for free from the University of Idaho Extension Publication Catalog or learn more about Five for Five’s Impacts.

Eat Smart Idaho

Eat Smart Idaho is a UI Extension education program designed to help limited-resource adults learn how to stretch their food dollars to provide tasty, low-cost, healthy meals for their families. Eat Smart Idaho teaches nutrition and consumer-related skills that lead to individual change. Eat Smart Idaho is funded through two federal grants and has enormous reach in our school districts, Head Start, food pantries and many more.