We all want to be healthy, but sometimes we need a helping hand. Thanks to SHIP, our communities are working together to ensure opportunities for good health for parents, kids, and the whole community. The goal of SHIP is to reduce chronic diseases associated with tobacco use and obesity. Through the guidance of our multidisciplinary Community Leadership Team, we support community efforts to:  

• Create safer walking and biking conditions in our communities to encourage walking and biking to school, work, and destinations or just for recreation.
• Improve access, affordability, and availability of healthy food options at school, work, and in the community at restaurants, corner and convenience stores, food shelves, community gardens and farmers’ markets.
• Establish workplace wellness programs to help employees improve their health and productivity, which decreases healthcare costs for employers.
• Partner with schools and childcare centers to improve access to healthy foods during the school day, increase opportunities for physical activity, which improves their health, ability to focus, and have demonstrated improvements on test scores.
• Partner with local property managers and owners of multi-unit housing to voluntarily adopt smoke-free policies within apartment buildings or adopt tobacco policies that prevent tobacco use among youth.
• Promote mental wellbeing across all ages, build resilience in our communities, and educate the public on available resources.
• Promote breastfeeding in the community through worksite wellness, baby café, partnering with healthcare systems, and other community spaces to ensure mother’s feel encouraged and supported in their choice to feed their baby breastmilk, which leads to unmatched health benefits for both mom and baby throughout their lives.

SHIP focuses on increasing physical activity, improving nutrition and reducing the number of people who use tobacco or are exposed to it.

• 33% of Faribault & Martin County residents are obese - caused by insufficient physical activity and unhealthy eating - increasing risk for heart disease and diabetes, among other chronic illnesses.
• 39% of 5^th graders in Faribault Co reported being active for 60 minutes each day for 5-7 days.
• 40% of 5^th graders in Martin Co reported being active for 60 minutes each day for 5-7 days. 49.6% of 11^th graders in Martin Co reported being active for 60 minutes each day for 5-7 days. 39.2% of Faribault Co 11^th graders reported being active for 60 minutes each day for 5-7 days.
• 57.7% of Martin Co & 51.6% of Faribault Co 11^th graders have experienced at least 1 adverse childhood experience; which can lead to mental health and chronic diseases over time.
• 26.7% of Faribault Co 8^th graders have seriously considered suicide.
• 19% of Martin Co 8^th graders have seriously considered suicide.
• 20% of Faribault & Martin Co students reported not eating vegetables at all during a 7 day period.
• 76.4% of  Martin Co 11^th graders, and 86.4% of Faribault Co 11^th graders reported not eating the recommended servings of vegetables daily.
• 30.9% of 11^th graders in Martin Co are overweight or obese as measured by BMI.
• 28.1% of 11^th graders in Faribault Co are overweight or obese at measured by BMI.
• 16% of adults in Faribault & Martin Counties smoke cigarettes, leading to various cancers and heart disease.
• Obesity and tobacco use and exposure are the two leading causes of death.

Preventing illness saves money, period.

• In Minnesota, obesity was responsible for an estimated $3.2 billion in excess medical costs in 2017 dollars.
• Tobacco use and exposure cost us $2.5 billion in 2014.
• MN Obesity rates [30.1%] continue to stay below our neighbors, ND-34.8%, WI-34.2%, IA-33.9%, SD-33.0%, and the nation-31.4%. MN’s rate has stagnated and has not risen at the same rate as those around us, our prevention efforts are working.

• Minnesota’s obesity rate has remained stable for 2018 and 2019 at 30.1%. This is good news. An analysis of our 2011-2017 data showed that Minnesota put the brakes on the rising obesity rate with the expansion of coordinated statewide actions to address it. In 2018 MN experienced a small increase and for the past two years the rate has stabilized. The latest report from the CDC shows how difficult the work is to bend the obesity curve.