Obesity Prevention
SUMMARY AND NEXT STEPS Education was by far the strongest theme
expressed throughout all means of public input, with increased physical activity and healthy food access highlighted within that theme. Live Healthy Columbus should undertake a comprehensive education initiative focused on the following: •
The benefits of eating healthy foods (in appropriate portions) combined with regular exercise;
•
Strategies for finding and preparing healthy foods on a budget;
•
Nutritional information and the health effects of eating a low nutrient, high calorie diet.
Coordination of all existing and new efforts is critical for Live Healthy Columbus to significantly impact the prevalence of childhood obesity in Muscogee County. Live Healthy Columbus should serve as the convener for this topic and figurative umbrella organization for all related programs, initiatives, data collection and activities relating to childhood obesity prevention in Muscogee County.
According to current research, education has the greatest likelihood of being effective in a schoolbased environment when the following factors are part of the implementation: 1. Universal implementation (all children vs. only overweight children); 2. Longer duration (more than 12 weeks, optimally 28 weeks); 3. Encouragement of nutrition change rather than mandated system-wide changes; 4. Focus on reducing sedentary behaviors; 5. Encouraging a high level of parental involvement; 6. Collaboration with teachers (rather than training teachers as implementers); and 7. Incorporating a mind-body approach.
Utilizing the CDC’s framework for obesity prevention and the strategies identified in Table 2, the following is a proposed draft plan of action for Live Healthy Columbus. This proposed plan focuses on the three most common themes from the public input and research — education, increased physical activity and healthy food access — combined with a fourth theme, data collection. It offers a draft vision, topical vision statements, goals, key strategies, outcome measures and potential partners and resources. It is a starting point for a conversation among Live Healthy Columbus members and the community for how to best focus limited resources to truly impact childhood obesity in Muscogee County.
The University of Georgia | Fanning Institute PAGE 33