SE Oakland News

South Oakland Family YMCA issued the following announcement on Oct. 18. 

Halloween at the Y (HAY) is a known and loved community celebration that has taken place at Metro Detroit’s 10 YMCA locations for many years. For the past three years, Metro Detroit Y’s have rolled out with Healthy Halloween at the Y which is unlike other events in the community, transforming the focus from candy and sugary treats to thrilling activities and nutritious snacks that make us stronger and healthier.

This free event is open to the public regardless of membership. Everyone is encouraged to come out to the Y, get into the spirit and wear a family-friendly Halloween costume. All Metro Detroit Y locations are taking steps to increase the health of their event by incorporating Halloween games that encourage movement and offer healthy treats in lieu of candy.

“The YMCA believes that cultivating healthy communities begins with our kids,” says Lisa Senac, Executive Director of our Healthy Living and Life Skills branch of the YMCA. “In everything the Y does, we must make it a priority to stand by our culture of healthy living and foster healthier kids, adults, families and communities.  We are so excited to take on this challenge of making Halloween fun and exciting while taking steps to eliminate unhealthy foods that contribute to major health disparities such as diabetes and obesity.”

With the high obesity rates, especially in Detroit  (37% obesity rate) (Bauermeister et al, 2016), the Y has a responsibility to our community’s social determinants of health. Through offering healthier food options, we can make a dent in increasing our community’s health outcomes. This is a small and smart adjustment the Y has made to create and support a healthier and happier environment for all.

Original source can be found here. 

Source: South Oakland Family YMCA