Our Opinion

The University of Wyoming recently conducted  a study on the health of Nebraska’s counties. The university was able to take a snapshot of the health and wellness of the people, and the results are in (see the Feb. 19 edition for the complete story).

Unfortunately for Cheyenne County, the report wasn’t good. Of 75 counties ranked, Cheyenne County found itself in the bottom 10. As a Panhandle county, it wasn’t alone. Neighboring Kimball County ranked far worse at 71, and Scotts Bluff County took the cake at 74 – second only to Richardson County as the least healthiest county in Nebraska.

There were many factors that led to our ranking. Considered in the report were items such as access to healthy foods, health care providers per capita, high school graduation rates and motor vehicle crash death rates.

We happen to think that Panhandle Public Health District Director Kim Engel hit the nail on the head when she said the report can be used as an important tool to boast our strengths in health and wellness, while simultaneously tackling our weaknesses.

Some of the data used in the report was generated in 2000, which means we may be in better shape now than what the report actually suggests, however, since change is a slow process, the report provides information that shows whether this county has been proactive or reactive to its needs.

One proactive step is the creation of the Sidney-Deadwood Hiking/Biking/Walking Trail. When not in use as the path for an organization’s walk/run event, it is used by individuals as a place to walk their pets, get in their morning jog or for kids to ride their bikes on.

Experts agree that even 30 minutes of physical activity a day is enough to start making a positive impact on a person’s health. The path provides a place for people to get in that time without even thinking about the fact that they are exercising.

Cheyenne County residents also are able to make use of the Cheyenne County Community Center, which features a workout gym, basketball courts and workout classes. The community center plays host to numerous sporting competitions over the course of the year to help keep people interacting while staying fit.

The City of Sidney’s vision to create a marketplace-type area near the Hickory Street and 10th Avenue intersections is just what the area needs to host a farmers’ market, which also can help improve the county’s score. Access to healthy foods takes into accounts grocery markets as well as farmers’ markets.

Since agricultural is the backbone upon which Cheyenne County was built, it would lead a person to think we would have gotten a higher score. The state’s rate was 35 percent, while the county ranked at 17 percent. There is definitely is room for improvement.

The Get Fit & Stay Fit Committee has recently been making local headlines, as the program recently hosted a 5K walk, with plans for another in March. The committee also is having weigh-in style competitions, similar to those found on the TV program “The Biggest Loser.”

It is apparent that health and wellness is becoming, or has already become, the focus of Americans. We are all interested in living as long as possible and staying as healthy as we can for as long as we can.

In order for that to happen, we all need to learn how to better care for ourselves and get outside to participate in community events. Think you can do it?

We challenge Cheyenne County to do what it can to bring that rating up. Let’s stay above our neighbors’ ranking, let’s get in shape and let’s have fun doing it.