186025 San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative: A public/private partnership focused on environmental and policy change

Tuesday, October 28, 2008: 4:45 PM

Cheryl Moder , San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative, San Diego, CA
     
This session will present the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative (Initiative), a unique public/private partnership that has engaged community partners in multiple sectors to work together to impact childhood obesity through environmental and policy change. To successfully address the childhood obesity epidemic, local leaders must address the social and physical environmental factors that contribute to this crisis and undermine parents' efforts to protect their children's health. With this recognition, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors supported development of A Call to Action: San Diego County Childhood Obesity Action Plan, a comprehensive approach that identifies seven sectors that have the most influence on developing environments that support healthy choices and behavior change (county and city governments; healthcare systems and providers; schools and after-school providers; preschool and childcare providers; community-based, faith and youth organizations; media and marketing; and businesses).

The Initiative was formed to engage community partners and assure effective implementation of the strategies outlined in the Action Plan. Since its inception in 2006, the Initiative has established active workgroups in six of the seven sectors. Leaders from numerous public and private agencies and organizations have voluntarily stepped forward to champion the cause, guide work in and across sectors, and engage colleagues to work together while checking their individual agendas at the door. With much work in progress, this tremendous effort has resulted in policy change, advancement and implementation of childhood obesity prevention strategies, and development of best practice models that can be replicated throughout San Diego County and elsewhere.

Learning Objectives:
1. Recognize strategies for environmental and policy change that address the underlying causes of childhood obesity. 2. Apply concepts learned to assist in development of a multi-sectoral public/private community partnership for childhood obesity prevention. 3. Identify potential partners from multiple sectors including public and private sectors.

Keywords: Obesity, Partnerships

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As Director of the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative, my role is to build awareness about childhood obesity, guide and coordinate community efforts, and catalyze partnerships across multiple sectors throughout San Diego County. I am responsible for assuring effective implementation of the strategies outlined in the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Action Plan. The plan identifies key domain areas that have the most influence on developing environments that support healthy choices and behavior change. I have planned and organized numerous educational activities including retreats, workshops and meetings, and most recently, a full-day childhood obesity summit, which attracted over 650 participants.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Childhood Obesity Initiative: A Public-Private Partnership in San Diego and Elsewhere
See more of: Community Health Planning and Policy Development