The Healthy Pismo Beach Get Away - Cal Polyjgphelan/_Media Assets/white papers/ginger... · n The Healthy Pismo Beach Get Away You Don’t Have to Leave Your Health Behind

By, Ginger Cochran

The Healthy Pismo Beach Get AwayYou Don’t Have to Leave Your Health Behind

AbstractObesity and overweight rates have reached staggering highs across California, and they are the highest in the Central Valley at 65%. This not only increases the population’s risk for numerous diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes but it drains California’s economy to deal with these conditions. Pismo Beach, CA is historically the primary vacation spot for Central Valley residents. There are numerous projects under way with the Central Valley Regional Obesity Prevention Program aimed at lowering their obesity rate. These projects, however, do not encompass the vacationing population which increases the risk for reversal of program benefits when this population is away from home. Weight-loss and health maintenance is challenging at home and extremely tricky while on vacation. What can the city of Pismo Beach do to provide proper resources for tourists to promote their health? By educating tourists on healthy local food and activities, Pismo Beach can provide a healthy welcoming place to stay for our tourist population. Attracting tourists to a “healthy Pismo Beach vacation” through online media, telling them where and what to eat, will not only benefit the health of our tourists but also help the local economy by making Pismo Beach more appealing to the health conscious population as a vacation

Introduction“Seems tourists are just getting larger every year” states a local concerned retailer. Obesity is sky

rocketing across California, especially in the Central Valley. The Central Valley Health Policy Institute declares obesity and overweight rates to be about 10% higher than the state average at 65% of adults. The Central Valley Business Times states that 1:3 children living in the Central Valley are obese.

Obesity and overweight is known to promote several different chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many cancers. According to Finkelstein, Fiebelkorn, and Wang (2004), California spends an estimated $1.7 billion on obesity-attributed Medicare costs. With the California’s deficit at $42 billion there should be a state wide effort to lower obesity rates and reduce unneeded expenditures (USAToday, Schwarzenegger: $42B deficit weighing down California, 2009).

The Central Valley Obesity Prevention Program received, in December 2008, $400,000 in grant money from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to establish programs to promote local physical activity and access to healthy, affordable foods for children and families. Locally the Central Valley community is working hard to lower its overweight and obesity rates. However, it is well known that vacations often promote weight gain in many individuals (Gillis, McDowell, Bar-Or, 2004).

Historically, since the early 1900’s, Pismo Beach has been the most popular vacation destination for Central Valley residents. This makes Pismo Beach the primary spot for Central Valley vacationers to gain weight while away from home.

Obesity and overweight rates have not been a huge issue until the past several years. According the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it was not until 2003 that obesity rates started to reach over 20% of the population. (Center for Disease Control, 2008)

With the increasing importance of weight-loss by the majority of Pismo Beach’s tourist population it is important that Pismo Beach offers the tools to educate tourists on health maintenance while on vacation.

Some tourists do want to leave their worries and diets behind while on vacation. However, some vacationers have worked very hard to achieve a healthy life-style and weight-loss and it’s important for them to continue their healthy life-style while on vacation. Not knowing where or what to eat is a problem while on vacation.

This proposal is focused on addressing the issue on how Pismo Beach can provide the proper resources for Pismo Beach tourists to help them create healthy balanced lives and achieve weight-loss.

Market DriversMarketing Pismo Beach as a healthy vacation destination will not only appeal to our Central Valley

residents but to our untapped global health conscious population, making Pismo Beach a prime spot to rejuvenate health. Increasing overweight and obesity rates are global, as well as the increased medical costs and poor health associated with it.

Today’s news is blanketed by the poor economy and the increasing weight of our population. This is why it is important for Pismo Beach to kill two birds with one stone and address this issue. The diet and health promotion industry is a multi-billion dollar market. Weight-loss spas and healthy vacations are popping up all over the United States which indicates vacationers are actively flocking to health promoting destinations.

According to a local hotel manager, the recent economy down turn has lowered occupancy beyond what he has ever seen. Even high end popular resorts are feeling the burn and cutting positions due to the economy. Offering a healthy vacation guide to Pismo Beach will not only positively impact the health of our vacationers but attract more tourists to Pismo beach as a result help the local economy. Healthy vacationing will, also, help the state’s economy by curbing the rise in weight-gain while on vacation thus reducing overweight and the associated costs to the State.

Today’s ProblemsThere are currently numerous health problems associated with weight gain and obesity. Some health

problems include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease, muscoskeletal disorders, and several types of cancers including endometrial, postmenopausal breast, and kidney. Due to these multiple complications U.S. obesity-attributed medical expenditures are estimated to be at $75 billion in 2003. Fifty percent of obesity-attributed costs are financed by Medicaid (MediCal in CA) and Medicare, which breaks down to $17 million financed by Medicaid and $21 billion by Medicare. It’s astonishing to see how much our government invests in to preventable problems especially when our own state is facing a $42 billion deficit and investing $17million in to these preventable diseases.

It is well know that weight gain is a common problem while vacationing. According to Gillis et al (2004) people more commonly gain weight during vacationing months. Studies have shown lack of self monitoring one’s diet and activity while on vacation increases the likelihood of weight-gain and failure to maintain weight-loss when compared to dieters that maintain their diet consistency while vacationing (Gorin, Phelan, Wing, Hill, 2003). This being said it is the responsibility of Pismo Beach to educate tourists on healthy options to prevent weight gain while vacationing. This will not only promote the health of loyal tourists but it will attract more health conscious vacationers to the area.

The economic down turn has caused local hotel occupancy and tourism to decrease. By targeting a new tourist population and promoting the health of our current population Pismo Beach will benefit from significant economic increase.

There is currently no well known healthy options laid out for Pismo Beach vacationers. The majority of tourists are not aware of healthy eating options, healthy promoting activities, and what foods to eat or to limit. Educating tourists with a central guide to where to eat, what to eat and what to limit, as well as what activities to do will attract more vacationers and promote the health of our regular tourists. The local and State economy is down and so is the health of our population. A guide highlighting, educating, and promoting healthy food and activities is key to addressing this issue locally and to have global impact by decreasing obesity rates through prevention measures.

The Guide to the SolutionThe best way to reach the masses, educate tourists and potential tourist is to create a web-site, directed at

Pismo Beach tourists, that gives tourist information on calorie content of popular dishes, where to get fresh local meals, where to access the best health promoting activities and the calorie expenditures of certain activities. All targeted activities and eateries should be with-in walking distance of downtown Pismo Beach.

The website will serve as a quick resource to visitors who want to prevent weight gain and continue healthy habits while on vacation in Pismo Beach. It will be their health guide on how to approach the area’s food and activities. This will assist health conscious tourists to make educated decisions and help them self-monitor their behaviors. As shown in Gorin et al. (2003) self-monitoring weight is key to successful long term weight-loss and health maintenance.

Tourists who are actively seeking a healthy vacation will be drawn to Pismo Beach through the online guide. This will put Pismo Beach on the map as a healthy vacation destination. As a result, this will increase Pismo Beach tourism and educate tourists on how to lead a healthy balanced lifestyle. Tourists will know where to eat, how much to eat, the calorie content of selected foods and the energy expenditure of certain activities. This will promote Pismo Beach globally and help promote the health of our highly overweight tourist population, thus have State and global impact on health, as well as, as boost the local economy.

A Typical ScenarioSuzanne, from Bakersfield, has lost 15 pounds from March to

June and has worked very hard with her fellow co-workers to keep it off with diet and physical activity. Suzanne is approaching a week vacation with her family in Pismo Beach. She is both dreading and excited about the vacation. It will be nice to get away, however, she does not want to erase all the hard work she has put in with her diet and exercise regimen at home. Suzanne knows she will have many obstacles to overcome while eating out everyday. Suzanne searches Google for healthy options in Pismo Beach and comes across the Pismo Healthy Guide which offers her solutions to her many anxieties and challenges about the vacation.

The SolutionThe advantage of having an online resource for tourists is that it is a simple, easy, effective way

to guide them where to eat and what to do. It will be free and easily accessed from home or mobile devices. Easy, quick, and free are three qualities of this project that are highly desirable when reaching the mass population to have effective results.

The question posed for the Pismo Beach visitors’ bureau on “how to promote healthy vacationing in Pismo Beach to our largely overweight tourist population?” is answered with this quick online guide to healthy/fresh eating and activities in the area. This easy guide will not only have a large impact on the health of our tourists but promote Pismo Beach as a health vacation destination attracting more vacationers to this little spot on the coast, helping to boost the local economy and having global health impact by preventing weight gain in visitors from around the world.

The guide will attract new vacationers and promote the health of our regular visitors. It will also reduce anxiety about weight gain and relapse of unhealthy behaviors that visitors may have when vacationing. This will allow them to truly enjoy the scenic, peaceful, and laid back area which is truly the essence of what Pismo Beach’s claim to fame is as “Classic California.”

A Call to ActionA website that provides healthy options to tourists needs to be in the works to save the health of the

vacationing population. Right now is the time for local businesses to make it known what healthy and beneficial activities or foods that they offer. Creating a central website for tourists to access this information will boost business and attract more visitors to Pismo Beach once people know what we have to offer. The site will be updated regularly to keep up to date with ever changing businesses and in hopes more businesses jump on the wave of creating healthier options.

It is the responsibility of the Pismo Beach business community to address the growing need for healthy options through food and activity. A welcoming web-site with comprehensive information and guides for healthy activities and food options will benefit both tourist and the local economy.

The financial benefits of attracting more visitors, generating additional advertising for local businesses and creating a healthy connection with Pismo tourists will not only lift the local economy but increase the positive exposure of Pismo Beach as a fun, active and healthy destination

There is a state wide movement towards weight-loss and healthy living. Let’s join the movement by offering Pismo Beach as the prime healthy vacation destination. E-mail me [email protected] to join the network and database today. Together we can take Pismo Beach into a brighter healthier era.

Sources

(December 2, 2008). Central Valley picked for program to fight childhood obesity. Central Valley Business Times.

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http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=10493

(January 15, 2009). Schwarzenegger: $42B deficit weighing down California. USAToday Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-01-15-schwarzenegger-california-deficit_N.htm

Finkelstein, Fiebelkorn, Wang (2004) State-Level Estimates of Annual Medical Expenditures Attributable to Obesity.

Obesity Research, 21 (1), 18-24.

Garner, Wooley. (1991) Confronting the failure of behavioral and dietary treatments for obesity. Clinical Psychology

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Must A, Spadano J, Coakley EH, Field A, Colditz G, Dietz W. The disease burden associated with overweight and

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