JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
The Office of the Air Force Surgeon General and Air Force Medical Operations Agency (AFMOA) Health Promotion office have launched a pilot campaign recently focused on motivating Airmen and their families to eat healthier.
The campaign - which adopted the tagline "Better Foods. Better Bodies." (BFBB) - aims to raise awareness of healthy food options, increase knowledge of good nutritional choices and motivate Airmen and their families to eat better, both on and off base.
The initial pilot program will be conducted at Andrews, Langley and Lackland Air Force Bases before being rolled out to the entire Air Force.
The BFBF campaign is a joint effort among four partners across the USAF and DoD: AFMOA, Army and Air Force Exchange Services (AAFES), Air Force Personnel Center Food & Beverage and Fitness, and the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA). These groups have worked closely together over the past year to develop the campaign and join hands in encouraging Airmen and their families to eat smarter and healthier.
"In the short term, healthy eating can help you look better, increase your energy and help your brain work faster and smarter. In the long term, it can improve heart health and prevent the onset of certain kinds of diseases like obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis," said the campaign's director, Mary Balch, Health Promotion office.
"We want Airmen and their families to live long, healthy lives and we know a lot of that depends on what they put into their bodies. That's why we started working with this great group of partners to create a campaign that would motivate and equip Airmen and their families across the Air Force to eat better."
BFBB provides online tools and resources to educate and enable individuals to make smarter food choices. Recipes, menu plans, quick tips and shopping lists help incorporate healthy foods into busy days through planning and affordable, convenient changes.
Campaign posters around base serve as visual reminders for Airmen and their families to purchase more designated "green" foods at dining facilities, healthy "Operation: BeFit" choices at EXpress shoppettes, and fruits and vegetables at commissaries. The commissaries will be offering special deals through coupon savings for items used in the recipes and menus.
"AAFES is committed to fueling a healthier lifestyle for Airmen and their families," said David Arens, who oversees the operations of AAFES shoppettes across the Air Force. "We're proud to be partnering with the "Better Foods. Better Bodies." campaign and are planning to roll out an abundance of healthier foods in our shoppettes that will enable Airmen to grab a healthy meal while on the go."
Campaign content can be found on http://www.afms.af.mil/betterhealth/bfbb. Nutrition information and support can always be found at local Health and Wellness Centers on all Air Force installations.