Kyle E. Unland, MS, RD, Washington State Department of Health, PO Box 47833, Olympia, WA 98512, 360 236 3757, Kyle.Unland@doh.wa.gov

In 2003, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and statewide partners launched the Washington State Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan. Using the Socio-Ecological Model, the plan focuses on an environmental and policy approach to address obesity prevention through decreasing the barriers that prevent healthy eating and physical activity. The City of Moses Lake was the first city to implement the plan, known as the Healthy Communities Project, in our state. The city has implemented three areas of the plan: 1) Access to Healthy Foods – By building community gardens, 2) Breastfeeding – By increasing environments and policies that support breastfeeding, and 3) Access to free or low cost recreational opportunities – By increasing connectivity and the number of trails and paths within the community. In the future, DOH hopes to use the process that was modeled in Moses Lake to encourage other cities and communities to implement a Healthy Communities Project.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Identify how the City of Moses Lake has implemented the Washington State Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan.
• Decribe the specific projects that are occuring in the City of Moses Lake.

Keywords: Obesity,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.