© 2003, Rotary Club of Charleston

P.O. Box 21029
Charleston, SC 29413-1029

Club secretary:
Carroll Schweers
chasrot@comcast.net

First Lady of S.C. addresses Charleston Rotary
Provides important message about disease prevention and health

JULY 22, 2003 - Jenny Sanford, First Lady of South Carolina, provided an insightful look into just how unhealthy Americans, and South Carolinians in particular have become. From acting like "couch potatoes," to eating too much, too often, Sanford sent a powerful message about the poor choices many of us make each day and how that impacts our health and well-being.

Sanford, the wife of Governor Mark Sanford, is a former Wall Street investment banker and the mother of 4 boys. Motivated by watching her own mother's struggles with cancer, Sanford delivered the message that many forms of cancer, and well as numerous other chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes, can be prevented if we would only eat right and exercise regularly. Other life style choices, like smoking cigarettes, also impact our chances of getting these deadly, chronic diseases.

According to Sanford, cancer is the second leading cause of death in South Carolina behind heart disease - 22,003 South Carolinians are hospitalized each year for cancer alone. Among other dismal statistics, South Carolina is tenth in the nation in obesity and twentieth in the nation in inactivity. South Carolina requires only one semester of physical education in four years of high school, and 98% of high schools in the State have readily-accessible vending machines, which are often loaded with high calorie, low nutrition snacks and drinks.

Sanford encouraged all of us to change our unhealthy ways and set good examples for our children and other loved ones by increasing our physical activity (walking only 3 hours per week has demonstrated benefits) and eating nutritious foods. She says that we can empower ourselves to avoid certain forms of cancer and other disease by making these important changes.

-- Amy Jenkins

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