Surgeon General visits Shiprock

Acting Surgeon General Steven K Galson

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — The acting Surgeon General of the United States was in Shiprock Wednesday to help the Tse’ Bit’ Ai Middle School open its new wellness center for students and to award the Just Move It program for its effort to combat obesity in the community.

Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, MD, MPH, was promoting the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future initiative in Albuquerque and Shiprock during his visit to New Mexico.

On Tuesday in Albuquerque, Galson sat in on a strategic planning meeting with the Indian Health Service obesity prevention initiative.

In Shiprock, Galson presented the Indian Health Service Just Move It program with an award and met with local and tribal officials to hear their concerns before cutting the ribbon for the wellness center.

Galson said he came to Shiprock to show support for the emphasis that Navajo country is putting on controlling childhood obesity by encouraging children to be active and eat right.

“I wanted to make sure I had an opportunity to see and to congratulate the folks out here on Navajo,” he said.

“It’s a great example of how they’ve gotten a whole community in fitness and showing that it’s fun. It’s not work to go and get physically fit. You can turn it into fun,” he said about the Just Move It program.

“I think this community here is doing a great job at organizing programs that really start here,” Galson said citing the Shiprock marathon that draws people from all over the world and the new wellness center.

Galson has four major goals as acting surgeon general — a position he has held since last October — including prevention, preparedness, health disparities and health literacy.

“But I’m spending probably the most amount of time on childhood obesity and underage drinking,” he said.
The acting surgeon general’s message to the Navajo people?

“It’s in your hands to live a healthier life so pay attention every day to making sure you eat a good diet, getting physical activity and setting a good example for your children,” he said.

At the middle school, Galson was introduced by Tom Schroeder, who said it was an honor and a privilege to have him at the school.

“I never imagined that would happen,” Schroeder said.
“I have never in all my life seen so many Navajo youth in one place so this is great,” Galson said to cheers from the students.

Since 1980, the number of overweight or obese people in different age groups has tripled, Galson said to them.
“That is really unacceptable. What that means is the future — your future — means more people on dialysis,” Galson said.

He explained that he is traveling the country to educate people about what they can do to prevent obesity.

“The key way and the healthy way is to stay physically active. Do 60 minutes of exercise,” he said. “The other huge component of being healthy and being fit is eating well. That’s eating not too many calories and not too much fat, knowing how much food is needed for your body.”

Galson said he has been to schools all across the country and not many have a wellness center like the one at Tse’ Bit’ Ai.

Three students showed Galson their skills at the “Dance Dance Revolution” game using the equipment in the wellness center.

Courtney Steele was one of the students who played the game on Wednesday. She said she will be utilizing the wellness center when it opens.

She and Kaarrole Nih were chosen from their physical education class to demonstrate the game.

“It’s fun,” Nih said about the wellness center. He said he will also be using the wellness center when it’s available.
The wellness center will promote healthy living and fitness to the Tse’ Bit’ Ai students with new techniques such as exer-gaming — exercising using gaming consoles.

Schroeder, who is in charge of the wellness center, said that the center utilizes exer-gaming because that’s what today’s kids are used to. Five wide-screen television screens for exer-games are in the center, as well as some weight and cardio machines. The wellness center was paid for by a grant from Johnson & Johnson.

Schroeder said that the wellness center will also educate children about health and fitness. Once it opens, it will be available for students Monday, Wednesday and Friday after school, he said.

A Navajo prayer was said to start the center off right.

As part of the day’s activities, the school drew a ticket to give away a brand-new bicycle — tested out by the acting surgeon general himself — to Corey Dayish. Galson also threw Frisbees out into the audience.

Genevieve Notah, public information officer for Navajo Area Indian Health Service, said it was a great honor to have Galson visit the Navajo Nation.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for the public and particularly the youth that heard his message today to get the message that staying active and eating healthy are very crucial to living long lives and living productive lives,” Notah said.

“This message from the surgeon general just reinforces what they’ve known and what they do daily,” she said.
She added that local and tribal leaders verbally expressed the needs of the community to Galson.