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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Sara N. Cook, MPH, CHES, Public Health Institute, Cancer Prevention and Nutrition Section, P.O. Box 997413, MS 7204, Sacramento, CA 95899-7413, 916-449-5437, scook1@dhs.ca.gov and Desiree R. Backman, DrPH, RD, Cancer Prevention and Nutrition Section, Public Health Institute, 1616 Capitol Avenue, MS-7204, Sacramento, CA 95814.

Over half of California's adults are overweight or obese. To reduce these numbers and improve overall health, Californians should eat a healthy diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, and engage in physical activity every day. Unfortunately California adults are consuming well below the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables and 61% agree that fruits and vegetables are “hard to get at work.” Given the fact that approximately 70 percent of working-age Californians are employed, developing programs and policies at worksites that support fruit and vegetable consumption and daily physical activity is an important way to advance the health of Californians.

As a result, the California 5 a Day – Be Active! Worksite Program has created the Fit Business Kit, a growing collection of web-based, no-cost tools and resources to help employers create workplaces that support healthy eating and physical activity. The components developed for the Kit include the Check for Health workplace environmental assessment, Take Action!, a 10-week employee wellness program, Healthy Meeting Policies, Vending Machine Nutrition Standards, and Healthy Dining Menu Guidelines. Tools currently under development include a guide to bringing a farmers' market/community-supported agriculture to the worksite, a healthy stairwells tool, and a guide to creating worksite walking clubs. All of the Fit Business Kit tools will be refined and finalized over the course of this year, based on pilot studies conducted and feedback received from businesses throughout California.

This presentation will describe the components of the Fit Business Kit and report on the findings of the pilot studies.

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

• Describe the tools and resources provided in the Fit Business Kit.
• Discuss the results of the Fit Business Kit pilot studies.
• Recommend future additions to the Fit Business Kit, focused on increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity at worksites.

Keywords: Worksite, Food and Nutrition

Related Web page: www.ca5aday.com/worksite

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered