Small Steps to Health and Wealth is a program is designed to motivate consumers to implement behavior change strategies that simultaneously improve their health and personal finances. To learn more about the Small Steps to Health and Wealth program, please see Small Steps to Health and Wealth online resources.
Small Steps to Health and Wealth Online Registration Here you will set your health and/or wealth goal. Researchers at Rutgers University and the University of Arizona will contact you periodically by e-mail to motivate you and check on your progress. The registration takes about 5 minutes to complete.
The new year is a time when many people resolve to make behavior changes to improve their health and personal finances. Typically, these resolutions are made separately, such as "lose 10 pounds" and "save $1,000." Small Steps to Health and Wealth is a program that offers a better way to set New Year's resolutions: work on health and financial behavior changes together and use the same methods to improve both aspects of life. Small Steps to Health and Wealth TM was developed to motivate participants to simultaneously improve their health and personal finances.
Implementation of the Small Steps program has continued throughout the Fall in Pima County , including the Dec. 2 nd kick off event titled “25 Days to Better Health and More Wealth.” Attendees learned about the Small Steps program and were encouraged to plan for a healthy 2007 in the next 25 days by selecting three or four Small Steps strategies and planning their actions to ensure success in the new year. Participants also had the opportunity to sample healthy and economical holiday treats and gifts, which offered a practical application of the philosophy of the Small Steps program. This information was provided by Ardith Arnold and Marcia Lucas, Master Consumer Advisors at Pima County Cooperative Extension.
Other presentations on Small Steps to Health & Wealth ™ were given at the Women in Higher Education Conference and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences In-service for staff. Both of these conferences were represented by attendees from throughout Arizona .
Small Steps staff Linda Block and Laurel Jacobs also recently taped an educational segment for the Access Tucson television program Tucson Vision . This half hour program provided a wonderful opportunity to showcase the Small Steps program in the community and give viewers a taste of all that Small Steps has to offer to motivate consumers to improve their health and wealth. The program will aired twenty five times between December, 2006 and February, 2007 on channel 74 (Comcast) and 99 (Cox) and will also simulcast through their website at www.accesstucson.org/ .
The Small Steps to Health & Wealth™ Workbook is now available from Cooperative Extension for $16.00 for pick up or $20.00 by mail. The book includes a discussion of similarities between health and personal finances and 25 behavior change strategies, all based upon empirical research and expert recommendations. It concludes with a planning worksheet for readers to use to set personal goals and action plans and a list of online health and personal finance resources.
A companion piece to the workbook is the Capacity Building Training DVD/CD, which is available for trainers to implement the Small Steps program. This program was completed at the University of Arizona and is available for $35.00 plus shipping.
And finally, the Small Steps program offers a website for consumers to register their participation in the program and track their progress, which can be accessed through the Take Charge America Institute website at www.tcainstitute.org/sshw/.
For additional information on the Small Steps to Health and Wealth TM program or to order the book or DVD, contact Laurel Jacobs, jacobsl@email.arizona.edu or Linda Block, lblock@cals.arizona.edu . They can be also reached at (520) 626-5161.