The Med-South Lifestyle Program is part of a research study being conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This program recruits participants to help improve what they eat and become more physically active. Eating in a healthy way and being physically active can reduce the risk of getting heart disease, stroke, and diabetes and can improve outcomes for those who have these conditions. This program is called Med-South because the eating plan is similar to a Mediterranean dietary pattern and this program was originally developed for use in the southeastern United States. Compared to the usual American diet, the eating pattern recommended by this program is estimated to lower the risk of having a heart attack or stroke or getting diabetes by about 30%.

The Lenoir County Health Department serves all Lenoir County individuals ages 18 and up interested in learning about healthy eating and physical activity habits. 

This program is designed to provide four monthly sessions, led by a peer counselor. In between sessions, the participant and the peer counselor will schedule a phone call to review the material and go over process. The content of this program was reviewed and considered up to date with the science on lifestyle and health outcomes as of April 1, 2020.