New York first lady Michelle Paige Paterson hopes to improve the health of New York's children and curtail the growing problem of childhood obesity with help from Cornell University.

Jason Koski/University Photography

Helene Dillard, left, and Dean Susan Henry, right, welcome Michelle Paige Paterson to campus during an afternoon reception in Statler Hall, Jan. 5.

Paterson visited Cornell's Ithaca campus Jan. 5 to learn about research and outreach programs that focus on health and fitness in children. She hopes to partner with and build upon Cornell research and Cornell Cooperative Extension's (CCE) efforts to improve families' access to local, healthy foods. She is launching a statewide fitness initiative called "Healthy Steps to Albany's Challenge" to encourage middle school students to exercise more and eat more healthful foods.

"If you can motivate kids in middle school, you can teach them to sustain a healthy lifestyle throughout their lives," Paterson said. "I was delighted to hear about all that Cornell Cooperative Extension is doing in this area."

During her visit, Paterson heard about such Cornell outreach programs as:

• 4-H Choose Health, a statewide campaign to encourage youth to eat healthy foods and to exercise.
• Cooking Up Fun, a nutrition program for children ages 9 to 14.
• NutritionWorks, a program that provides training and materials to help nutritionists and school staff members improve child wellness through changes in personal behavior and at home, in school and in the community.
• Agriculture in the Classroom, a partnership between Cornell and the state government that educates youth, teachers and consumers about agriculture and food systems.

"We have the expertise in teaching kids how to lead healthy lifestyles and experience in connecting local, healthy foods to schools and families," said Helene Dillard, director of CCE. "I am looking forward to Cornell Cooperative Extension developing strong collaborations with the first lady and her initiatives on the health of children and their families."

Health has long been a priority of Cornell faculty research and outreach programs, said Josephine Swanson, assistant dean in the College of Human Ecology and associate director of CCE. "We have resources devoted to the health of children and their families, and there's certainly an opportunity to connect those with Mrs. Paterson's initiatives," she said.

Paterson first became interested in health as a middle school student. "Your body is going through so many changes at the time, it's hard to make sense of it," she explained. "It encouraged me to get involved in exercising."

That interest led her to a career in health care. She holds a master's degree in health services management, has worked in the health-care field for many years and is director of Integrative Wellness at Emblem Health, where she focuses on programs that promote healthy living with a focus on childhood obesity and stress-related ailments.

Sheri Hall is assistant director of communications in the College of Human Ecology.