Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113565

Pam Williams-Piehota, PhD¹, Sue Lin Yee, MA, MPH², Amy Elizabeth Roussel, PhD³, and James C. Hersey, PhD³. (1) Health Communications Program, RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road - P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194, 919-316-3936, Ppiehota@rti.org, (2) Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE MS K-24, Atlanta, GA 30341, (3) Center for Health Services, Economics, and Policy Research, Research Triangle Institute, 3040 Cornwallis Road, PO Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

Given the epidemic rate with which obesity has risen in the United States, one of the nation's public health priorities is to reduce the prevalence of obesity. The CDC's Nutrition and Physical Activity Program to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases was established to prevent and control obesity by supporting states in the development and implementation of evidence-based nutrition and physical activity interventions. This paper overviews the initial progress of states funded by the program. Because the landscape of evidence-based nutrition and physical activity interventions is changing rapidly, we focus on early measures of success that necessarily precede the implementation of interventions. We will review states' substantial progress in developing capacity and infrastructure for their programs, notably leveraging substantial financial resources and developing strong partnerships. In addition, states have made advances in planning and implementing activities to prevent and control obesity. We will highlight the environmental changes that states are implementing through policies and legislative acts. To describe the evidence-based nutrition and physical activity interventions they are conducting, we will feature examples from selected state programs, including the short-term and immediate outcomes they are monitoring. Finally, we will close with a discussion of the longer term goals of the program.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, participants will be able to
• Describe early measures of success among states funded by the CDC’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Program to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases.
• Articulate the evidence-based intervention strategies states are using to prevent and control obesity.
• Identify examples of short-term and intermediate outcomes that states are monitoring and evaluating in their interventions.

Keywords: Obesity, Community Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.