Everywhere you look, people are overweight and out of shape. Youngsters cannot bend over to tie their shoes. Adults have trouble walking from their cars into stores without breaking a sweat. America has become a supersized nation where gigantic serving sizes, remote controls, and electronic devices have replaced moderation and physical activity.

When I analyzed the data collectedduring the 2002 "Health Tour" for Wells County that looked at body mass indices (BMI) of fourth-graders, the study of 336 subjects proved that 40 percent of the students were either "at risk for" (14 percent) or were already "overweight" (26 percent), far exceeding national averages. As a result, community leaders decided to take action for the health of their children and their community.

Knowing the problem was beyond their scope of expertise, the Caylor-Nickel Foundation, a philanthropic organization with a mission to improve the health of the  community, contacted Ball State for help. Thus, Operation Wellness was conceived.

Operation Wellness is a four-year collaborative school/community-based initiative that focuses on nutrition education, physical activity, and healthy lifestyle changes for individuals residing or working in Wells County. This collaborative effort, spearheaded by the university, is funded by a $450,000 Robert Wood Johnson Local Initiative Funding Partners grant, a $450,000 matching grant from the Caylor-Nickel Foundation, and fi ve other local funding partners. Funding began in July of 2003 and will continue until June 30, 2007.

Operation Wellness focuses on increasing physical activity and improving the health of individuals who live and work in Wells County. The program provides classes so that individuals can increase their physical activity and learn how to select healthier foods. It also provides teachers and students opportunities for nutrition education and physical activity and assistance to comply with policy recommendations for healthy schools.

Worksites offer a variety of educational materials and programs to enhance their employees' health. Increased collaboration with community partners has resulted in increased opportunities for group physical activity, increased media coverage that encourages healthy living, and an increased availability of community facilities for physical activity and health education classes.

There are two components that make up Operation Wellness: Wellness Preparatory (elementary/middle school) and Wellness University (high school/adults). Wellness Prep activities include after-school programs such as jump rope clubs, walking clubs, tae kwon do, yoga, and healthy cooking classes. Wellness University activities have included group activity classes such as walking, circuit training, volleyball, water aerobics, body toning, and step aerobics, and group education classes that include healthy eating, weight management, supermarket tours, cooking demonstrations, Lifesteps, and Dump Your Plump teams.

To date, 1,733 adults and 4,577 elementary and middle school students have enrolled in various Operation Wellness activities. Enrollment figures have increased steadily each term. Paired analysis clearly indicates that adult participants have lost a significant amount of body weight, lowered their systolic and diastolic blood pressure, improved their heart's response to exercise, improved their waist-to-hip ratio, and made significant dietary changes that include increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy products, and whole grains. Individuals who have returned for three or four semesters have shown the greatest improvement.

Preliminary analysis indicates a significant increase in the number of individuals who engage in purposeful activity and a positive shift in adults intent to lose weight and improve healthy foods consumed. In the spring of 2004, 12 Dump Your Plump teams, a total of 85 individuals, competed against each other. After ten weeks, they lost 435 pounds. In the spring of 2005, 14 Dump Your Plump teams, 108 individuals, lost a total of 856 pounds! Last spring's winning team, the "Motivated Body Busters" from Bluffton Regional Medical Center, lost 86.5 pounds.

Operation Wellness has been a driving force for change in several schools in Wells County. One school removed its deep-fat fryer from the cafeteria. Milk vending machines were added to four schools. Of the 11 schools that received a 2004-05 Healthy Hoosier School Award, two were from Wells County.

Additional changes have taken place in the community. Several restaurants have  gone smoke-free, the Bluffton police department has implemented a "No Doughnut" policy, and the Caylor-Nickel Foundation has implemented a "Healthy Snack" policy for all business meetings and social events they sponsor.  The Bluffton News-Banner has provided space for a weekly column that includes tips for individuals and families to help improve nutrition and increase activity. The column is written by Nedra Steury, the project director.

Students in the dietetics and wellness programs at Ball State also benefit from Operation Wellness. They learn how to take anthropometric measures, calculate body mass indices, use a heart monitor, take blood pressure readings, develop educational materials, give presentations, conduct surveys, and enter/analyze data. Feedback clearly indicates the "hands-on" experiences help the students learn concepts critical to their major.

Ball State's strategic plan for 2001-06 articulated the university's commitment to "broaden, diversify, and enrich its relationships beyond the campus," to include establishing new entrepreneurial partnerships with business, industry, education, civic organizations, and other institutions and to expand the quality and scope of community programs. Operation Wellness helps the university meet this goal.

As Operation Wellness enters its third year, we will continue to work with the schools to enhance their lunch menus and help teachers integrate nutrition education and physical activity into their daily curriculum. We also hope to expand the physical activity opportunities and nutrition-education sessions, both in the community and at the worksite, that help consumers make healthier choices.

Reversing the current epidemic of obesity will take time. But every step taken to increase physical activity and enhance healthy eating can make a difference. To see so many in the community join forces to help improve their health is very rewarding. Thanks to Operation Wellness, people in Wells County are working toward a common goal—one step at a time!

Photos and graphics for this feature were provided by Carol Friesen.