South Carolina health programs launch 5210 SC campaign

October 23, 2023

The new statewide campaign is designed to encourage children to level-up their health.

The University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health, in partnership with the State Nutrition Action Coalition (SNAC) and the South Carolina Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) programs, announces the launch of their 5210 South Carolina statewide campaign. This joint venture between the programs is designed to encourage positive health outcomes for the children of South Carolina and those around them.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 41% of children and adolescents in the United States are overweight or suffer from obesity. The new 5210 South Carolina campaign encourages children to “level up” their health, motivating children to eat five fruits and vegetables, have less than two hours of recreational screen time, enjoy at least one hour of physical activity and refrain from consuming sugary drinks each day.

“As cliché as it sounds, children really are our future — and it’s important that they maintain a healthy and sustainable lifestyle,” says Genine Hodges, program manager at SNAP-Ed. “I think we all know how hard it is to eat healthy and be active every single day, but if we can get children to buy into just one of these steps of the 5210 program, we know they’ll greatly benefit from it.”

Originally a national initiative used by programs all over the county, the South Carolina-specific 5210 program is designed to be positive and empowering — spreading a simple message about healthy behaviors that impact everyone’s day-to-day lives.

“With this campaign, we want to provide actionable steps for South Carolinians that inspire them to lead healthier and more active lives,” says Ashley Page Bookhart, research associate at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health. “We don’t want people to fully eliminate things from their lives but we’re trying to encourage making small healthy choices that add up over time.”

5210 South Carolina promotes independence and autonomy by motivating individuals to make simple choices that are affordable and attainable — which leads to measurable results.

Learn more about 5210 South Carolina at http://5210sc.com/. This institution is an equal opportunity provider. This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-SNAP.

 

About 5210 South Carolina

5210 South Carolina is a statewide campaign to create positive health outcomes for the children of South Carolina and those around them. The campaign encourages five fruits and vegetables, less than two hours of recreational screen time, one hour of physical activity and zero sugary drinks each day. The 5210 SC initiative is led by the South Carolina Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) in partnership with the State Nutrition Action Council. This institution is an equal opportunity provider. This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-SNAP.

 

About the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health

As the primary public health research and education resource for the citizens of South Carolina, the Arnold School of Public Health prepares the next generation of professional practitioners and scholars to serve communities and impact disease prevention through public health education and intervention.

 

About South Carolina’s State Nutrition Action Coalition (SNAC)

South Carolina’s State Nutrition Action Coalition (SNAC) is a state-level collaboration with representation from state agencies and nonprofits that implement the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrition programs.  Together, the SNAC partnering organizations reach underserved people throughout the life span, providing food benefits, nutrition education and obesity prevention services.

 

About Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed)

The SNAP-Ed Program is meant to improve the likelihood that persons eligible for SNAP will make nutritious food choices within a limited budget and choose physically active lifestyles consistent with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA food guidance. The SNAP-Ed Program is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through a partnership with the SC Department of Social Services.