The TSET Better Health Podcast

As our nation celebrates 250 years of independence this summer, more Oklahomans are also enjoying the freedom that comes with healthier living. Episode 58 explores how and why individual choices and public policy can improve wellness over the long run. Today's guests are DeLanie Brewer, an Oklahoma City resident who has shared her inspiring health journey with Shape Your Future, Katie Qualls Fay o...

Route 66 got Americans moving across much of the country when it opened 100 years ago. As Oklahoma celebrates the Mother Road's Centennial, the TSET Better Health Podcast will drive conversation on upcoming Route 66 events that feature healthy fun and physical activity, including a big band dance in Weatherford, the Andy Payne Run in Claremore that honors a local legend and the "Kickin' It On Rout...

Adults should get 150 minutes or more of physical activity each week for good health. Busy schedules can make reaching that goal consistently difficult, and for those who go it alone, decreased motivation and even discouragement can derail one's desire to get up and moving. Group- and community-based can provide the encouragement needed to get and stay physically active, and this episode will delv...

The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust was created by a statewide vote 25 years ago this month to reduce cardiovascular disease, cancer and other diseases often caused by tobacco use and obesity. In Episode 55 of the TSET Better Health Podcast, TSET Executive Director Julie Bisbee and longtime family physician Dr. Steven Crawford discuss, from their perspectives, the many impacts TSET has made on...

Oklahoma has the fourth-highest age-adjusted mortality rate for all cancers in the nation, despite ranking much lower in overall cancer incidence. Early detection is crucial for successful treatment, but lack of information and barriers to accessing cancer screening often delay detection until the cancer reaches an advanced stage. Research and innovative resources -- including a lung screening mob...

 As cigarette smoking gradually declines in Oklahoma and the U.S., other nicotine products are being marketed to attract and addict new consumers – especially youth and young adults. What are these products, what should be known about them and how can Oklahomans addicted to any tobacco product find help to quit for good? Episode 53 of the TSET Better Health Podcast explores and answers these quest...

 Walking, bicycling and other forms of person-powered active transportation are great for recreation, getting from point A to point B and improving one's health and wellness. Episode 52 explores state- and community-based efforts to keep Oklahomans moving in fun and safe environments. Guests are ODOT Active Transportation Coordinator Bart Vleugels and TSET Healthy Living Program coordinators Shelb...

People of all ages feel better when they eat healthier, and there are programs that are helping Oklahomans choose and access nutritious foods. For National Nutrition Month, Episode 51 of the TSET Better Health Podcast features Meredith Scott, director of the Oklahoma Nutrition Information and Education (ONIE) Project, and Melissa Vilas of Rescue Agency and the Swap Up nutrition education program f...

The TSET Better Health Podcast dropped its first episode in March 2020, coinciding with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Episode 50 revisits some health challenges many faced during the lockdown and offers tips to improve health and well-being now, almost five years later. Jennifer Goodrich, a licensed professional counselor, CEO of Pivot, Inc., and featured guest in Episode 2, returns to discu...

  In this season of Thanksgiving and the holidays, Episode 49 shines a warm glow upon health programs and trends in Oklahoma to be thankful for. Project ECHO Director Dr. Tara Jackson explains how the international program extends health and medical expertise to underserved areas in Oklahoma through tele-mentoring, and Cushing Asst. Superintendent Mike Wayland shares how the new Tiger Trail connec...

 Lung cancer screenings save lives by detecting cancer early, but only 1.7 percent of eligible Oklahomans get screened. TSET and OU Health are teaming to bring screening to more people by launching a Mobile Lung Cancer Screening bus this fall. Episode 48 provides insights on lung cancer screening from OU Health thoracic surgeon Dr. J. Matthew Reinersman and a person who shares their personal exper...

Physical activity is not just for the young and athletic, it's for Oklahomans of any age and ability. Episode 47 of the TSET Better Health Podcast introduces listeners to Mark Ivy of NewView Oklahoma and his promotion of adaptive sports like beep ball -- a new take on baseball -- and other physical activities for fellow visually impaired persons. Executive Director Kathleen Fitzgerald talks about...

Discovery and Built Environment Innovations are newer TSET grant programs that already are benefiting Oklahoma communities. Episode 46 provides an overview of the new community grant programs and shares two Built Environment success stories. One is a Parks and Recreation master plan in Pauls Valley to boost livability and physical activity for years to come, the other is a new Horticulture Educati...

 Vaping is a source of curiosity for many underaged persons and concern among parents, educators and public health experts. Episode 45 of the TSET Better Health Podcast delves into the rise of youth vaping and efforts that are underway to reduce it. State Rep. Cynthia Roe, R-Lindsay, speaks on her bills that aim to reduce youth retail access to vape products and why she is passionate about it, and...

This year, American Heart Month in February gets an added Leap Day of observance and a TSET Better Health Podcast episode dedicated to heart health and disease prevention. Cardiologist Tim Daly explains how disease develops in the heart and blood vessels over time and how to avoid it, and we’ll visit a county wellness center where people of all ages gather for classes and activities that are great...

The Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline is celebrating 20th anniversary, and the TSET Better Health Podcast is highlighting the free TSET-funded service that has helped hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans quit tobacco. Tune in to Episode 43 and hear from Michelle Lynch, president and CEO of the North American Quitline Consortium; Christin Kirchenbauer, Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline director, and three TSET staf...

 Staying physically active can be a walk in the park – or to school, the workplace or around the town. The newest episode of the TSET Better Health Podcast features Stroud City Manager Bob Pearman speaking on the town's new attractions aimed at improving the health and longevity of residents; a wellness coordinator for state employees who shares tips and resources to help any workplace become a he...

TSET has reorganized departments within its agency, and Executive Director Julie Bisbee provides details on the restructure and how it will help TSET better serve Oklahomans. Episode 41 also looks at local innovations that are helping more Oklahomans enjoy access to healthy foods, including a produce store that gardener and farmers market champion Loretta Merritt opened recently within a shipping...

 Tobacco use in Oklahoma costs thousands of lives and billions of dollars in health care and lost productivity each year, but a newly released state plan and federal court-ordered tobacco corrective statements at stores both aim to reduce tobacco use. Podcast episode guests Elizabeth Chery-Mullen of the Oklahoma State Department of Health tells us about the five-year state plan and what it means f...

 TSET has invested millions of dollars into cancer, tobacco cessation and wellness research – and Oklahomans are reaping the benefits. From the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center’s (SCC) renewed recognition as a National Cancer Institute Designated Cancer Center, to the scores of tobacco- and wellness-related studies currently underway at the TSET Health Promotion Research Center (HPRC), TSET’s re...

 May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, but you don’t have to be a top athlete to join the fun. Physical activity is great for Oklahomans of all ages and abilities! Episode 38 of the TSET Better Health Podcast explores how, from Bike, Roll and Walk to School Day for students in early May through free workout videos from Shape Your Future that help beginners bust their yoga, dance and b...

As National Nutrition Month draws to a close, this TSET Better Health Podcast episode examines nutrition and obesity prevention in our state, especially among youth. Jae Morrison of the Oklahoma State Department of Health discusses findings in the state’s newly released Obesity Prevention Plan, and what we can take from it for our own well-being. Listeners also will hear from Christy White, the in...

Tobacco companies have long used deceptive marketing in ever-changing ways to lure new customers into buying and becoming addicted to their dangerous products. They know how to appeal to different populations, and it has worked with deadly results. TSET is launching a new media campaign that exposes how the tobacco industry uses “shapeshifting” marketing to make tobacco and vape products seem appe...

Governing by the will of the people is assumed in democracy – unless preemption is involved. Such is the case with local tobacco laws in Oklahoma cities. Preemption is when a higher level of government limits or eliminates the power of a lower level of government to regulate on a particular issue. Since 1987, Oklahoma cities and towns have been prohibited from adopting tobacco restriction ordinanc...

Smoking rates in Oklahoma are dropping to historic lows, but they continue to rank high among the 50 states and vaping is still a persistent problem, especially among youth. This TSET Better Health Podcast episode takes a look at efforts to lower tobacco and vape use in our state heading into 2023 with guests Matt Glanville of the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network , Paola Klein of th...