Healthy Eating by Design: A community-driven, multi-strategic approach to address the childhood overweight epidemic in low income communities

Healthy Eating by Design is a program comprised of twelve community based pilot projects that tested promising strategies to address overweight among children living in culturally diverse, low income communities. Goals of Healthy Eating by Design included: 1) improving access to healthy foods in school and community settings, 2) identifying promising policy and environmental approaches to preventing childhood overweight, and 3) using the Active Living by Design Community Action Model and 5P Strategies as a framework for addressing both sides of the energy balance equation as it relates to childhood overweight. The 18-month pilot program, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, began in June 2005 and ended in early 2007. During this time, the Healthy Eating by Design projects implemented strategies and realized accomplishments using the following 5P strategies: Preparation (action planning and assessment, community partnership development and sustainability efforts), Promotions (communication and social marketing), Programs (organized initiatives that directly engage individuals), Policies (formal or informal policies or standard procedures that influence community environments and professional practice), and Physical Projects (creating infrastructure and/or removing physical barriers). The experiences of the Healthy Eating by Design community partnerships also provided insights about potential challenges and solutions when integrating healthy eating and active living policy and environmental work at the community level. This presentation will provide a summary of the work and lessons learned from the Healthy Eating by Design program, and share potential models for community based approaches to address healthy eating and active living.