180 chief seeks health turnaround

New director targets Sullivan obesity

By Demi Budd | Manor Ink

Sullivan County, NY – This county has nothing to be proud of when it comes to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s County Health Rankings. To see our small county, you have to look down a bit, then a bit further – and there we are, sitting at spot 60 out of 62. Out of the 62 counties in New York State, Sullivan County is in third place for being the most unhealthy. This is not a competition we want to be winning.

That is where Amanda Langseder comes in. Passionate about the health of our county, Langseder joined Sullivan 180 in October as the new executive director. She brings heaps of experience and is fired up to lead us in a turnaround.

Langseder explains how health impacts young people. “70 percent of high school students don’t qualify for military service. This is simply for one reason: poor health. For many graduating seniors, an entire career option is wiped off of the table.” To Langseder, this is unfair and results from a lack of knowledge.

“Sullivan 180 is a vehicle to foster and support community efforts to improve the health of all residents,” according to the nonprofit’s website.

Sullivan 180 and Langseder understand that this change is one that must be taken in steps – gradually.

“If you look at our logo, you’ll see that it’s actually a turtle,” Langseder said, “because we’ve accepted the fact that this is going to take time. And you know, the tortoise and the hare – who wins the race? The turtle does.”

This race won’t be easy to win, though. Sullivan 180 is prepared for the challenge and has begun initiatives to start off strong in improving the health of Sullivan County. In what Langseder calls “a variety of grassroots ways,” the nonprofit harnesses the power of the community to help their endeavors.

Working with schools

A group of Sullivan 180 volunteers called Community Health Champions are trained to make a change in their community by running groups that educate people on healthy behaviors and generally inspiring people to take the initiative to better themselves.

Sullivan 180 also looks closely at how to make changes in policies and in the environment. One of these environments includes school, where children and teens generally spend most of their time (though that is not exactly the case now).

“We actually are just preparing to relaunch our Empowering a Healthier Generation program. This is school-based wellness work that we had started pre-COVID,” she said. “It’s an incredible competition with prize money exceeding $200,000. It’s a great opportunity for schools to get involved and change their environment and policies to support the wellness of their students and their staff.”

This relaunch will begin in January, giving schools time to dust off their wellness policies and take a look at what they have to work with.

It is important to Langseder to address childhood obesity and help alter the environments in which unhealthy habits are encouraged or where there is much room to endorse such habits. She understands that school bake sales, cookie dough sales and other unhealthy fundraisers make money and pay for extracurricular class activities. But there are alternatives, such as color runs that can rake in the same profit.

Child obesity levels are rising in Sullivan County, and yet, in other counties, they are decreasing. Just in the Livingston Manor school district alone, the percentage of students with obesity has roughly doubled, from 15.7 percent from 2012 to 2014, to 32.9 percent from 2014 to 2016. This is a jarring statistic, and it is one that hits close to home for Langseder.

“I struggled with obesity as a child,” she said. “I was close to 300 pounds by the time I was 14 years old. I was ridiculed; I was made fun of. It killed my self-esteem, and it made me struggle in things I loved. It’s something that’s very pervasive.

“I really feel like youth have the right to a healthier generation – that they shouldn’t have things that are closed off to them in the future,” Langseder said. “I think why I’m so connected to the mission is because now I have two little children. They go to school in Sullivan County, and I want them to have all of the options that they possibly can have when they graduate and not be held back by something like their health.”

And health should be a given, she says. Youth in our county should be raised to be healthy and can step into adulthood with every door possible open to them.

Experienced in helping people

Langseder’s personal connection to the project is not her only incentive, though, and she has worked on past interpersonal projects that have assisted those in need.

Before taking charge at Sullivan 180, Langseder led the Sullivan County Public Health WIC Program: the Women, Children, and Infants Program. It is geared to help pregnant women and children up to the age of five.

“WIC serves several thousand women, infants, and children across the state – including a large number of people in Sullivan County. It is a program to help families. We call it a ‘hand up.’ It’s not a ‘handout’ program,” she explained. “There are families that need support. It’s very difficult when you first have a baby – you need help with breast feeding support; you need help with food in your home to keep yourself nourished. You need help with parenting tips and techniques. It’s such a valuable program for pregnant women and their families.”

Under her leadership, participants’ access to local farmers markets for fresh produce was significantly increased.

After WIC, Langseder worked at Garnet Health, where she launched “Warrior Kids” – a four-week long program for the prevention of childhood obesity. The initiative has graduated over 1,500 children to date.

“I love talking about Warrior Kids! It was a lot of fun and I’m certainly hoping it can continue once we can get back into school.” Langseder said.

Warrior Kids aims to help youth understand what they are consuming, the importance of exercise, how to dial down on screen time and other ways of improving their lifestyle that isn’t necessarily taught in school or from parents. “We teach them the ‘5-2-1-Almost none’ credo. The kids memorize it after four weeks.”

Langseder’s experience with a variety of health-care programs has given her insight into the issues facing Sullivan County.

“In my roles with public health and the hospital system, I’ve seen a lot of the social determinants of health, the things that affect people’s health that are beyond healthcare. I think my experience with WIC and with the hospital allow me to have a greater sensitivity about the need that’s in this community.”

So with numerous programs and initiatives under her belt, and an undeniable passion for helping others, Langseder is more than prepared to start her newest journey with Sullivan 180, undertaking to help Sullivan County become a healthier county – one degree at a time.