Seven Strategies for the Southern States

Our VISION:  The Southern States will be a place where people have access and are encouraged to eat healthy food, have plenty of culturally appropriate opportunities to be active, have a work and school environment that encourages healthy choices, and a healthcare system that provides support and recognizes obesity as a treatable, preventable chronic disease.

Our MISSION:  To unite organizations and individuals across the south, where obesity has become most prevalent, specifically within the 16 southern states of:  Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia; and, to work together to develop and implement strategies and initiatives that will halt and reverse the devastating obesity trends we now endure.

Seven Strategies of Obesity Prevention

Early Childhood (National Partners: CDC/SECA, WIC/SNAP, Ag Extension)
Early child care facility staff should be trained and certified in healthy nutrition and physical activity guidelines.

  • Review state licensing and regulations for all states and compare with Caring for our Children’s standards relating to nutrition and physical activity.
  • Review state licensing and regulations for training requirements of EL providers and staff
  • Develop recommendations that states can take to licensing agency and state legislature for action
  • Connect with national organizations that can provide insight into state efforts and resources to assist.

Food Systems/Access (National Partners: The Food Trust, Voices for Healthy Kids, Share Our Strength)
Two part strategy: 1) Increase the number of healthy food outlets in underserved communities by securing funding for healthy food financing initiatives and 2) Support efforts to incentivize low-income consumers to purchase healthier foods via “Food Bucks”-type strategies.

  • Identify (in detail) what is currently happening in each state to address this strategy and who is currently working on these efforts, including cataloging past efforts. Offer support to work with existing groups and become outspoken advocates for such programs.
  • Work with PR/communications experts (e.g., via Voices for Healthy Kids) to develop a comprehensive and tailored messaging strategy for various stakeholder groups in each state. For example, economic and pro-small business talking points (and supporting data) for talking with policymakers…. health impact messages (and supporting data) for talking with public health departments
  • Develop a mechanism for continued and frequent communication and collaboration among members of the Southern Obesity Summit food access pillar working group

Healthcare and Healthcare Systems (National Partners: Alliance for a Healthier Generation, American Hospital Association, Healthways)
Healthcare system will recognize obesity as a chronic medical diagnosis with a need to focus on both prevention and treatment.

  • Collect BMIs on every patient – use existing V-85 codes
  • Provider training for motivational interviewing
  • Engage educational institutions in providing comprehensive obesity prevention and treatment education
  • Collaborate with existing healthcare groups (AANP, AAP, AAFP), healthcare departments
  • Define healthcare providers instrumental in providing obesity prevention and treatment services (NEW)

Nutrition Policy (National Partners: Center for Science in the Public Interest, CDC, National Automated Merchandising Association)
Ensure that food being served, sold or provided by and for the state meets nutrition guidelines.

  • Survey states to determine who has existing policies that we can review and use for models
  • Encourage Governors or state legislatures to establish task force to review, pass law
  • Work with city officials to determine feasible strategies they can endorse and can be budgeted
  • Bring vendors into the discussion to address their concerns
  • Include Heart Association in discussions

Physical Activity (National Partners: America Walks, National League of Cities, Safe Routes to School, President’s Council on Physical Fitness)
Support the implementation of 60 minutes per day of physical activity

  • Application of CSPAP / Let’s Move! Active Schools framework to Communities
  • Shared / Joint use agreements – shared facilities – communities, schools, churches, parks, trails
  • Promote physical activity breaks/interventions – worksites, schools, churches
  • Adoption of complete streets policies:  community development, school bonds, regional transport agencies, SPLOST, etc.
  • Form a united front for PA Promotion across states by creating a unifying icon that can be used - Think “MyPlate” or “VERB” or “Smokey the Bear”

Worksite Wellness (National Partners: American Cancer Gold, Prevention Partners, CDC)
Encourage individual organizations across sectors to implement written worksite wellness policies.

  • Develop framework for states to implement high-impact and effective workplace wellness initiatives
  • Identify and recruit new leaders and stakeholders to workgroup and sustain infrastructure to keep workgroup engaged and working on plan
  • Ensure that THI seeks places for strategic overlap across plans to maximize cross-collaboration

 Schools (National Partners: Action for Healthy Kids, ACSD, SPARK, CATCH, Alliance for a Healthier Generation, NC Health and Wellness Center)
Embrace Coordinated School Health (CSH) as a philosophy, not a program

  • Educate state leaders and school administration about:  What CHS is, What CHS includes, and what impact It has when implemented
  • Part of this education process might include identification of champions or leaders who are successful in conducting a Coordinated School Health assessment. These champions would be used to tell their story.  Note:  It is important to show value not just to the school or school district but to the community as a whole