What We're About
 Prevention is the most cost-effective approach to reducing chronic disease morbidity and mortality. The Live Healthy Georgia Campaign serves as the umbrella for an outreach initiative that aims to raise awareness about the risk factors associated with chronic diseases and to provide Georgians with information about ways to live healthier, and reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases. The overarching messages of the
campaign are:
The goal of improving the health status of Georgians by preventing chronic disease and
encouraging healthy behaviors is both eminently worthy and enormously challenging.
With more than 8.6 million residents, Georgia is the fifth fastest growing state in the U.S.
The demographic composition of the state presents complex issues for organizations
involved in health promotion.
To Learn more, choose a quick link to drop down to a topic below:
Objective
Raise awareness of chronic disease prevention by the promotion of healthy behaviors
Positioning
Georgia’s Department of Human Resources is the “trusted resource” for information on
healthy behaviors through the
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Prevention of |
Promotion of |
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Cancer |
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Cardiovascular Disease |
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Diabetes |
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Asthma |
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Arthritis |
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Osteoporosis |
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Physical Activity (Be Active) |
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Nutrition (Eat Healthy) |
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Get Checked |
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Be Smoke Free |
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Be Positive (Mental Fitness) |
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Target Audience
All Georgians
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Geography
State of Georgia - The goal of improving the health status of Georgians by preventing chronic disease and encouraging healthy behaviors is both eminently worthy and enormously challenging.
With more than 8.6 million residents, Georgia is the fifth fastest growing state in the U.S.
The demographic composition of the state presents complex issues for organizations
involved in health promotion.
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Rural Population
Outside the Atlanta metro area, the state is predominantly rural, where access to
healthcare services as well as health information is often limited. Rural Georgians are
generally less healthy than their urban counterparts due in part to the demographic,
economic, and social characteristics of their communities. The populations in many of
these communities are older, poorer, and more likely to be uninsured than in the rest of
the state.
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Education
Many Georgians suffer from inadequate education. In 2004, Georgia had the second
lowest overall high school graduation rate in the nation.
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Poverty
Statewide, nearly one-quarter of Georgia children live in poverty, and 8% are living in extreme poverty (income below 50% of poverty level).
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Race
Georgia’s population is 28.7% African-American, which is more than twice the national average of 12.3%. Some 436,000 people living in Georgia identify themselves as being Hispanic or Latino. This number should be doubled or tripled for a more accurate count.
African-Americans are at an increased risk of developing conditions such as diabetes,
cardiovascular disease and certain forms of cancer. In addition, African-Americans have
increased mortality from stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers.
Despite years of attention to the issue, the gap in African-Americans’ health continues.
Officials at the CDC agree more culturally sensitive programs targeting blacks should be
implemented to improve the disparity. “We’ve been talking about the problem, but we
haven’t done enough in terms of providing resources and making sure interventions
known to be effective are used widely,” said Dr. Ben Truman, associate director of
science in the CDC’s office of Minority Health (AJC, 1/14/05).
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Obesity
A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that Georgia
outpaced every other state in the country with 101.8% increase in its obesity rate between
1991 and 1999. Nearly one in four Georgia adults are obese. One-third of middle school
students and one-fourth of high school students in Georgia are overweight or at risk of
being overweight. Obesity increases the risk of many chronic diseases including heart
disease, diabetes, and cancer and aggravates other conditions such as arthritis.
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Physical Inactivity
Georgians are significantly less active than the nation as a whole. Only 24% of adult
Georgians are regularly active, while 27% engage in no leisure-time physical activity.
Activity levels decrease with age as well as with lower income and education levels.
Regular physical activity reduces the risk of many chronic diseases including heart
disease, hypertension, stroke, colon cancer, diabetes, and osteoporosis; it also reduces the
risk of obesity.
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Tobacco Use
Tobacco places a considerable burden on Georgians each year. About 23 percent of
Georgia adults 18 years and older smoke cigarettes. More than 11,000 Georgians die
annually from tobacco-related illnesses (4,200 die from cancer; 4,200 die from
cardiovascular diseases; 2,600 die from respiratory diseases). About 26 infants die every
year in Georgia because their mothers smoked during pregnancy.
Adult smokers account for $1.8 billion in annual healthcare costs to the state of Georgia.
Additionally $2.9 billion is lost in productivity costs due to employees who smoke and $9
million in infant healthcare costs are attributed to smoking.
Visit: The Georgia Tobacco Quit Line Website
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