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Community Strategies to Prevent Obesity: National Reports and Toolkits

Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States

Provides 24 recommended strategies and associated measures that local governments can use to plan and monitor environmental and policy-level changes for obesity prevention. Includes strategies to promote access to affordable healthful food, support healthful food and beverage choices, encourage breastfeeding, encourage physical activity and limit sedentary behavior, create safe and active communities, and encourage communities to organize for change. (CDC, Measures Project, July 2009)

Leadership for Healthy Communities Action Strategies Toolkit: A Guide for Local and State Leaders Working to Create Healthy Communities and Prevent Childhood Obesity

Outlines the policymaker role in designing healthy communities and identifies targeted strategies, key stakeholders, policy and program options, concrete directions on how to start programs, resources that can help inform the process, and examples of how other states and localities have achieved progress. The approaches were identified, evaluated and selected by Leadership for Healthy Communities and its 11 participating policymaker organizations representing state, local and school district decision makers. (Leadership for Healthy Communities, May 2009)

Local Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity

Provides practical strategies for state and local government officials to help curb childhood obesity. This report identifies action steps that are within the jurisdiction of local governments, likely to directly affect children, based on the experience of local governments or sources that work with local governments, and that take place outside of the school day and have the potential to promote healthy eating and adequate physical activity. (Institute of Medicine, September 2009)