Oral

It is important to move beyond categorical funding and a disease-by-disease approach towards environmental changes that address issues fundamental to community health and chronic disease prevention. Primary prevention strategies such as online assessment, target screening and evaluation surveys, healthy mobile vending, and environmental change strategies such as transportation and food retail patterns are crucial tools to create healthy communities. In this session, the presenters will draw on real-world examples to discuss specific policy and tools that advocates can employ to implement in their communities to prevent obesity and chronic disease by improving food and physical activity environment.

Session Objectives: List ways in which the local government regulate food vendors and discuss ways to incentivize mobile vendors to sell healthy food. Discuss the use and benefits of social networking sites to promote peer learning. Describe food purchasing patterns of residents of low income and people of color communities and demonstrate relationship between store availability and healthy food purchases. Describe the importance of environmental change approach and implement policies that health advocates can promote in order to improve opportunities for healthy eating and active living.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)