Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity

Boards of health are responsible for assuring the provision of adequate public health services in their communities. Proper nutrition and regular physical activity are essential to good health and disease prevention. A board’s role is to assess a community’s health needs and concerns and develop or recommend policies, procedures, and programs to meet those needs.

Over two-thirds of adults and one-third of children in America are obese or at risk for obesity. Boards of health are in a position to help reverse this epidemic. Boards have the ability to identify the policy and environmental changes that lead to increased physical activity and better nutrition, and are able to support the advocacy that will result in the adoption of such policies.

Click for Food Safety & Nutrition Resources (pdf)

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Boards of Health in Action!

NEW! Rocky Boy Indian Reservation, MT-Received grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to administer various health programs for youth.
NEW! Louisville Metro, KY-Gathering information for a possible ban on trans fat.

Nashville/Metro, TN - Passed a menu-labeling law requiring all chain restaurants to post calorie information on menu boards.

Calhoun County, MI - Adopted a 10-year strategic plan focusing on improving physical and nutritional health among community members.

Gaston County, NC - Approved a Childhood Obesity Action Team for 2009.

New York City, NY - Requiring restaurant chains to display calorie information on menus and menu boards.

Tacoma-Pierce County, WA - Approved a "Declaring Obesity to Be a Serious Threat to the Health and Well-Being of Pierce County Citizens" resolution.

King County, WA - Approved an Obesity Prevention Committee and adopted a resolution on preventing obesity.

Do you know of a Board of Health that has been focusing on nutrition, physical activity, or obesity work?

Please let us know so we can share the news!

Resources:

United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association, and Partnership for Prevention: The Future Costs of Obesity: National and State Estimates of the Impact of Obesity on Direct Health Care Expenses

Healthy Eating Research: Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Negatively Impact Children’s Health

Active Living Research: Making the Link from Transportation to Physical Activity and Obesity

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Safe Routes to School State Network Project (2007-2009)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's MMWR: Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the U.S.

American Planning Association-

Planning, Public Health, and Physical Activity Essential Information Packet

The Commonwealth Fund-Chronic Burdens:

The Persistently High Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenses Faced by Many Americans with Chronic Conditions

Trust for America's Health:

F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing 2009

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-

Bridging the Gap Program

PolicyLink and Prevention Institute-

The Transportation Prescription: Bold New Ideas for Healthy, Equitable Transportation Reform in America

NACo's Healthy Counties Database

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NALBOH Community Health Pages

Community Health Status Indicators

Community Guide

Nutrition, Physical Activity, & Obesity

Tobacco Use Prevention and Control

Tobacco Resource & Publications

Oral Health

For questions or more information about NALBOH's community health programs, please contact Tricia Valasek.

Page Updated 2/01/2010.