Building a Community Initiative: The Healthy and Active Before 5 Action Plan to Prevent Early Childhood Obesity

This session will focus on rationale for, and components of a successful multi-sectorial collaborative dedicated to preventing obesity in children ages 0 –5. The plan was initiated after community advocates in Contra Costa County concluded that ongoing educational efforts were not reducing local rates of obesity in infants and toddlers. In order to determine the most effective environmental changes to support healthy early childhood lifestyles, community partners reviewed the medical literature, piloted the Prevention Institute's ENACT tool, formed bi-lingual parent focus groups and surveyed 200 professionals. A local Leadership Council helped formulate a comprehensive plan of eight evidence-based principles to preventing early childhood obesity, The Healthy and Active Before 5 Action Plan. The process culminated in a summit with 170 diverse and engaged participants, including a number of major local and state officeholders. Major stakeholders in the initiative, including local foundations have subsequently made significant commitments for change and contributions within their spheres of influence.

To date, identified outcomes of the planning process and summit include: changes in local hospital breastfeeding policies; improvements in vending machine policies; and enhanced community advocacy for physical activity programs for young children. Local and state level legislators are working with the group to pursue improvements in local and state child care environments, breastfeeding policies for local employers, and local regulations regarding menu labeling.

Participants in this session will be able to apply lessons learned to the 0 – 5 population, one that has been missing in many obesity prevention plans, policies and practices.