Building a policy roadmap for partners to advance organizational practice change and public policy for healthy eating and active living

Chronic disease related to poor eating and inactivity has become an increasingly urgent concern across the country. Environments have evolved in a way that provides less opportunity to be active and fewer choices for healthy eating, especially for disenfranchised communities and communities of color. While there has been some success in positively changing eating and activity environments, organizational practice and policy changes are being implemented in an unsystematic way. The consequence of this is that environmental changes are only beginning to reach an adequate scale to significantly influence behavior patterns and subsequent chronic disease rates . This is an opportune time to nurture seeds of activism and bring together groups working across various sectors and disciplines to advocate for a broad agenda; in effect, building a strong movement for change.

With funding from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Prevention Institute is conducting a national- and state-level policy scan of “best bets” on behalf of the Healthy Eating-Active Living Convergence Partnership. As part of this initiative, Prevention Instistute has developed a list of organizational practices and public policies that maximize support from diverse constituencies and hold the most promise for building momentum to change norms and improve health outcomes.

This presentation will highlight Prevention Institute's initial findings of cross-cutting policy and organizational practice levers that foster an environmental approach to improving eating and activity environments, with an emphasis on communities of color. Prevention Institute will also share our learnings on how we engaged and incorporated the interests of multiple disciplines and sectors. Finally, we will provide coalitions and advocacy groups with a sense of what they can do in their own locale and/or state to advocate for environmental change.