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Chronic Disease Resources - Organization
Like many areas across the country, suburban Cook County is in the fight for its life. Chronic diseases now affects more than 50% of our residents. Obesity rates have tripled for children and doubled for adults – obesity is on the verge of becoming the leading cause of preventable death.
We can no longer stand by while social norms promoting sedentary, unhealthy lifestyles cripple our chances for long, healthy lives. To combat this epidemic, the Cook County Department of Public Health and a strong network of partners, is leading the charge towards a suburban Cook County in which healthy lifestyles are the norm, not the exception.
We do this by:
- Increasing opportunities for fun, casual physical activity
By working with our partners to create bikeable, walkable areas in communities, we give car-bound communities another option for transportation.
- Decreasing the amount of nutrition-poor food in communities
We're working with the communities we serve to help them balance and plan the types of food available to their residents, ensuring unhealthy food isn't the only option.
- Promoting breastfeeding
Breast milk is free, nutritious and proven to increase a child's long-term health. We're working to ensure every mother in suburban Cook County has the support she needs to make breastfeeding a viable option.
- Increasing access to healthy, fresh food
How can you make healthy choices if nutritious food isn't available to you? We're working with local governments and merchants to make healthy food available, affordable and enticing.
- Making public air clean and smoke-free
Everyone should have the right to breathe clean, fresh air. We're working with lawmakers, officials and community members to decrease smoking rates and ensure public space is healthy space.
- Increasing access and use of smoking cessation services
We’re working with providers and organizations to offer cessation services and to promote the Illinois Tobacco Quitline.
- Leading an alliance of community health advocates
Our Alliance for Healthy & Active Communities pulls together on-the-ground advocates and community members throughout Cook County to strategize around, attack and defeat public health issues that threaten our communities.