Health foundation comes through again for community

The Mat-Su Health Foundation recently announced it has awarded more than $1.2 million to 16 local non-profit organizations. This is just another series of gifts the foundation makes to help the Valley and its residents live healthier lives.

That’s a worthy effort considering the recent report by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that concluded Alaskans could stand to lose a little weight. Granted, most of the poundage cited was in the rural areas. Dillingham was the worst.

Look around, though, we’re not the skinniest people on the planet here. And we share plenty in common with other areas in the nation where diabetes is on the rise and heart disease remains one of the top killers.

So when the health foundation makes these contributions, it’s with the thought that a community can be more healthy through ice skating, hiking trails, drug and alcohol treatment, health clinics and activities for children plus many others.

The last, children’s activities, might be the most important. Adults can be like old dogs. But children can be taught early on that being outdoors, participating in sports and other healthy ventures are things they can take with them as they grow into adulthood. If they continue to be active, then maybe in generations to come, Alaska can get off, and stay off, the list of the fattest states.

Another study announced this week by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign showed that rural areas aren’t necessarily as downtrodden as our urban brothers and sisters would think. When comparing unemployment rates, poverty rates, high school drop-out rates, and housing conditions to identify prospering communities, the study concluded one in five rural counties are thriving.

A map of the country, provided by Live Science, showed the best counties in bright red and suffering counties pale yellow. Many of the red spots congregated in the Upper Midwest and across the Northeast.

Alaska, for the most part, was pretty pale.

So it’s apparent we have lots of work to do to make this a better, healthier place to live and work.

The Mat-Su Health Foundation deserves a lot of credit for helping improve the Valley. And all of us, as individuals, can do a better job of taking care of ourselves and making sure children understand a healthy lifestyle is important to them as they grow old.