Transitioning from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) to a Nutrition Education Obesity Prevention (NEOP) Program: Engaging stakeholders to create a statewide implementation plan for Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention

Introduction-SNAP-Ed funds are an important resource for nutrition education in California. In 2010 the Healthy Hungry Kids Act transformed SNAP-Ed into a NEOP Program by including language that allowed for public health approaches. This session describes the process to create a transition plan for this exciting change. Methods-Planning occurred in two phases. In phase one the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) invited key individuals representing: research, low-income and multi-ethnic populations, advocacy, funders, local health departments, nutrition, physical activity and policy to serve as an “Obesity Prevention Think Tank”. This group recommended priority areas and strategies for the first three years to secure short-term wins while building for longer-term outcomes. The second phase involved convening 252 stakeholders to review and provide input to the Think Tank's recommendations. Results-The stakeholders chose and affirmed three areas for California's NEOP efforts: 1.Decrease consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and increase consumption of water 2.Increase access and consumption of healthier foods 3.Increase physical activity opportunities throughout the day Within each priority area, the most promising strategies were chosen as the focus for the initial three years. The focus will be creating access to healthy foods, healthy beverages and physical activity through policy, systems and environmental changes. Discussion-The engagement process provided feedback needed to create a plan based on local efforts and informed by top-level thinkers in nutrition education and obesity prevention. On October 1, 2012 California will embark on an ambitious road to implement the plan.