Get in shape at the ... library?

By Derrick Miller
The Duncan Banner

DUNCAN — Sticking to New Year’s resolutions may get a bit easier with the help of an unexpected source — the Duncan Public Library.

The library will begin its “New Year, Better You” program series at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the library annex building. The first program will focus on healthy eating and its role in healthy living.

Library Director Ann Brown said, “This way, it’s not just for people who need to lose weight. It’s about eating healthy.”

Thursday’s program is the first in a series of six programs, which will occur twice a month and will go through March. Each event will explore different elements of health and fitness. The series has been in the planning stages since November.

Brown said she wants to the series to help people stick to their resolutions or inspire them to make such a resolution.

“Hopefully, this will get them started (on their resolutions) again,” she said.

To help drive home the point of health and fitness, each program will include a professional relating to the evening’s topic.

And Thursday will be no exception. A nutritionist from Duncan Regional Hospital will be the guest speaker to help library patrons relate to healthy eating.

The program will also offer healthy snacks, Brown said. But the snacks won’t be the commonly used carrot sticks, she said.

“They’ll see that a healthy snack isn’t just veggies and a low-fat dip,” she said.

The program is expected to take about an hour, she said. At the end of the evening, the discussion will be open to questions on the subject.

And, if people want more information following the program and the question-and-answer session, the library has book available on each of the series’ topics, Brown said. Some of the books even focus on semi-related items, including diabetic cookbooks and eating toward a healthy heart.

She said the program was important because, as a society, the community should work toward a healthier population.

Aside from healthy eating, the series will include programs about reflexology, health foods and supplements, physical fitness, the mind/body connection, and financial fitness.

“I think this is going to be a fun series of programs, and I’m really looking forward to it,” Brown said. “Programming is one of my favorite things, anyway.”