By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News
May is Women’s Health Month, and the focus of the month’s women’s health initiative is “Our Healthy Kentucky Home.”
“Women face unique challenges covering our physical, mental and emotional health,” Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman said in introducing the initiative. “Understanding these specific health needs is incredibly helpful to promoting long-term wellness.”
According to 2023 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15.6% of women were in fair or poor health, 42.1% were obese, 9.2% smoked cigarettes and 6.4% had high blood pressure.
Coleman said one way to ensure wellness is to have a healthy eating pattern, making sure to eat a variety of foods from all food groups and to limit foods with added sugar, salt and saturated or trans fats.
“On average, adult women need between 1,600 and 2,400 calories a day, and that intake is based on your age, height, weight and activity level. So to find out how many calories you need each day, be sure to visit Our Healthy Kentucky Home website for helpful calorie calculation tools,” she said.
Coleman also encouraged women to exercise at least 30 minutes, three times a week to stay healthy.
This, she said, “can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, help you lose weight and maintain a healthy weight as you get older, improve sleep and lower your risk of diseases such as breast cancer, colon cancer, type two diabetes, heart disease and stroke.”
Coleman emphasized the importance of women prioritizing their health by scheduling regular checkups and routine screenings, as these can lead to early detection and prevention of various diseases.
“I am with you today because what I thought was a regular checkup ended up being an actual early detection screening for me,” she said. “About 18 months ago, I had a preventative exam and received some kind of troubling news. However, with the swift action of my care team and a tremendous amount of grace, I survived that scare and am healthy today. So regular checkups can change your future and can save your life.”
The Our Healthy Kentucky Home website includes links specifically related to women’s health from the U.S. Office on Women’s Health and the CDC. It also includes Kentucky-specific resources.
The Our Healthy Kentucky Home initiative is a one-year initiative to improve Kentuckian’s health.
The overarching goals are for all Kentuckians to eat two servings of fruits and vegetables daily, to exercise at least 30 minutes three times per week, and to engage with others and stay connected.
In addition, Our Healthy Kentucky Home initiative will focus on a different health topic each month.