Georgia''s Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan Executive Summary
A Statewide Plan to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity
T he Plan is the result of over a year's worth of work of the Take Charge of Your Health, Georgia! Task Force under the leadership of the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health. The Task Force is composed of the Department of Human Resources staff; state departments of education, transportation, and parks and recreation; leaders from faith-based organizations; leaders from community-based organizations; health care professionals (e.g., dietitians, physicians, nurses); universities; non-profit organizations and statewide coalitions. Their collective expertise includes nutrition, physical activity, breastfeeding, evaluation, community development, strategic planning, social marketing, communication, and advocacy.
A Call for Action Finding Solutions Through Partnership
Georgia's Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan sets goals, objectives and strategies that involve the public and private sectors working in partnership to influence:
public policy changes community changes organizational changes individual and family changes
Finding solutions through partnership - everyone has a role in restoring Georgia to better health: individuals, families, institutions, organizations, communities, and policy makers. However, state and community leaders are key to creating policies and healthy environments that encourage Georgians to make better lifestyle choices.
Background
In July 2003, the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health was one of 17 states awarded a five-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support state nutrition and physical activity programs that work to prevent obesity and other chronic diseases. This strategic plan fulfills a major deliverable of the grant, to engage statewide stakeholders to develop a statewide nutrition and physical activity plan for Georgia.
Purpose
Georgia's Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan is a ten-year comprehensive plan to prevent and control obesity and other chronic diseases by increasing breastfeeding, improving healthy eating habits, increasing physical activity and decreasing television viewing/screen time.
The plan serves as a blueprint for communities, faith-based organizations, schools, worksites and healthcare providers to address overweight and obesity. Education, policy and environmental approaches targeting children and youth, families, adults and older adults, are presented to ensure a comprehensive approach.
Overall Goal
The overall goal of Georgia's Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan is to prevent and control obesity and other chronic diseases.
Long Term Objectives
This goal will be realized by achieving the following long term objectives, by 2015, targeting Georgia's children and youth, adults and older adults: Improve healthy eating habits Increase physical activity Increase breastfeeding initiation and duration Decrease television viewing/screen time Decrease prevalence of overweight and obesity
Intermediate Objectives
During a five-year period that extends through 2010, the plan proposes health-promotion strategies in key settings:
State-level and Infrastructure Objectives
Increase the number of state policies and legislative actions related to healthy eating, breastfeeding, physical activity, preventive screening, and obesity and chronic disease prevention and control.
Establish the collaborative infrastructure and secure the resources required to implement the plan.
Worksite Objectives
Increase the proportion of worksites that offer employee risk reduction/health promotion programs that address physical activity, healthy eating, and breastfeeding.
Increase the proportion of worksites with policies and environmental supports that promote healthy eating, physical activity and breastfeeding.
Increase the proportion of employees who participate in employer-sponsored breastfeeding, nutrition and physical activity programs.
Community Objectives
Implement and evaluate a state-wide community campaign to promote healthy eating, physical activity, decreased sedentary activity, and breastfeeding.
Increase the number of ongoing programs for healthy eating, breastfeeding, and physical activity that are implemented and evaluated.
Encourage all public health districts to develop and implement a coordinated healthy eating, breastfeeding, and physical activity plan in collaboration with local partners.
Increase changes in the built environment (healthy community design) to foster smart growth communities (mixed land use, trails, connectivity, safety and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant transportation systems).
Increase the number of community locations that provide access to healthy food choices.
Increase the number of nutrition and physical activity programs at state and community parks and recreation centers.
Increase the knowledge and skills of individuals related to breastfeeding, healthy eating, and physical activity.
School and Early Child Care Objectives
Increase the number of early child care centers that promote breastfeeding, healthy eating, and physical activity.
Increase the proportion of schools K-12 with local wellness policies for healthy eating and physical activity.
Increase the proportion of schools K-12 that implement one or more components of a Coordinated School Health Program.
Increase the proportion of public schools that require daily physical education for all students.
Increase the number of schools and early child care centers that create environments to promote healthy eating and physical activity.
Increase the proportion of school-aged children who daily eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables and engage in moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes.
Faith-Based Objectives
Increase the number of programs for healthy eating, breastfeeding, and physical activity offered by faith-based organizations.
Develop practice guidelines for faith-based organizations to promote healthy eating, breastfeeding, and physical activity.
Increase the capacity of faith-based organizations to implement and sustain initiatives that promote greater awareness and skills related to healthy eating, breastfeeding, and physical activity.
Increase the knowledge and skills of the faith-based membership related to breastfeeding, healthy eating, and physical activity.
Health Care Objectives
Increase the number of partnerships and referrals between health care providers and community providers for obesity and its related conditions.
Adopt a standard education curriculum, including core competencies in obesity prevention and weight management in all medical schools and 75% of residency, allied health and mental health programs in Georgia.
Increase the number of trainings that licensed health care providers offer for continuing education in obesity prevention and weight management.
Increase the number of licensed insurance companies in Georgia and state-funded health plans that provide reimbursement/benefits for the prevention and treatment of obesity.
Increase the number of targeted health care providers and professionals who routinely assess and monitor body mass index and that provide appropriate nutrition and physical activity counseling.
Increase the number of targeted health care providers and professionals who receive training in the areas of healthy eating, breastfeeding, physical activity, and behavior change.
Activating and Sustaining
the Plan
T he strategies proposed for the next 10 years in the Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan will be advanced by the Take Charge of Your Health, Georgia! Task Force, which will serve as the synchronizing and leadership body that will coordinate, integrate and guide the implementation of statewide nutrition and physical activity initiatives. Drawing upon the same expertise, networks, and diverse funding that created the plan, the Task Force calls for sustained collective action to communicate, implement, monitor and evaluate the plan to achieve meaningful and lasting changes in Georgia's health care, worksite, school, faith-based, and community settings. These lasting changes will create environments to support healthier nutrition and physical activity choices and behaviors among families and individuals.
For a full copy of Georgia's Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan, visit:
http://health.state.ga.us/programs/nutrition/
The Burden of Overweight
and Obesity in Georgia
Overweight among Georgia's young children ages 2-5 years, enrolled in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program, has increased 60 percent over the past decade.
The Georgia Student Health Survey (2003) indicates that 33 percent of middle school students and 26 percent of high school students are either overweight or at risk for overweight.
61% of adults are either overweight or obese.
Overweight and obesity leads to increased risk for chronic diseases and death.
The annual cost of obesity in Georgia--from direct health care costs and lost productivity--is estimated at $2.1 billion.
For a full copy of the Overweight and Obesity in Georgia, 2005 report, visit: http://health.state.ga.us/pdfs/familyhealth/ nutrition/ObesityRep.DPH05.023HW.pdf
DPH05/048HW
Partners
Action for Healthy Kids Georgia Team Enterprise Community Healthy Start
AIM 2010
Family Connection Partnership
Albany Area Health Care, Inc.
Fit II Play Health and Performance Academy
Albany Area YMCA
Floyd Medical Center
Alpharetta Recreation and
Forsyth County Schools
Parks Department
Fort Valley State University
American Academy of Pediatrics,
Fulton County Department of
Georgia Chapter
Health & Wellness 3-2
American Cancer Society
Gainesville Parks & Recreation
American Heart Association
Georgia Academy for Family Physicians
Southeast Affiliate
Georgia Association of Health, Physical
Armstrong Atlantic State University
Education, Recreation and Dance
Atlanta Bicycle Campaign
Georgia Bikes!
Atlanta Intercultural Ministries
Georgia Coalition for Black Women
Augusta State University
Georgia Coalition for Physical Activity
Bethel AME Church, Inc.
and Nutrition
Bibb County Schools
Georgia Department of Early Care
Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany, Inc.
and Learning
Burke County Schools
Georgia Department of Education
Camden County Schools
Georgia Department of Human Resources,
Carrollton Parks, Recreation and
Division of Aging Services
Cultural Arts Department
Division of Family and
Center for Youth Leadership and
Children's Services
Family Development
Division of Public Health
Chattahoochee Valley Region
Georgia Department of Transportation
Library System
Georgia Dietetic Association
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Georgia Dietetic Foundation
Coastal Health District 9-1
Georgia Hospital Association
Cobb County School District
Georgia Institute of Technology
Cobb/Douglas Health District 3-1
Georgia Partnership for School Health
Colquitt County Extension Service
Georgia Prevention Institute
Colquitt Regional Medical Center
Georgia Recreation and Park Association
Columbia County Board of Education
Georgia Rural Health Association
Columbus Parks & Recreation
Georgia State Games Commission
Communities in Schools
Georgia State University
Community Healthcare Center Savannah Girl Scout Council of Savannah,
CSRA Partnership for Community Health
Georgia Inc
Dearing Elementary School
Girl Scouts of Southwest Georgia
DeKalb Health District 3-5
Grady Health System
DeKalb YMCA
Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation
Dougherty County School System
Hall County Parks and Leisure Services
Dougherty for Children/Family Connection Hall County School
East Central Health District 6-0
HealthSTAT
East Metro Health District 3-4
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies
Economic Development for McDonough Hispanic Health Coalition of Georgia
Effingham County Recreation and Parks Houston County School Food Service
Ellaville Primary Medicine Center
Hy-Dy, Inc.
Emory University,
I4 Learning
Department of Health,
ILSI Center for Health Promotion
Physical Education and Dance
Interfaith Health Initiative
Rollins School of Public Health
Johnson & Johnson
South Central Health District -
JuicePlus
Healthy Start
Kaiser Permanente
South Central Health District 5-1
Kid's Journey
South Health District 8-1
Kids' Health Inc.
Southeast Health District 9-2
L.E.A.P. of West Georgia
Southeast United Dairy Association
LaGrange Health District 4-0
Southside Health Center
Lanier Elementary School
Southwest Georgia Area Health
Lee County Library
Education Center
Legacy Link, Inc.
Southwest Health District 8-2
Macon Central School District
Spalding County Parks & Recreation
Medical Center of Central Georgia
Speaks & Associates
Medical College of Georgia
Spring Creek Health Cooperative
Mercer University School of Medicine St. Francis Hospital
Metro Atlanta Safe Routes
St. Teresa's School
to School Coalition
Stephens County Schools
Metro Atlanta Skate School
Teen Plus Resource Center
Monroe Comprehensive High School
Teens Exercise
Morehouse School of Medicine
Terrell County Family Connection
Mt. Hebrew Baptist Church
Trowbridge & Associates Inc.
Muscogee County School District
Union Mission
Neighborhood Improvement Project
University Hospital
Newnan Hospital, Health
University of Georgia Cooperative
& Fitness Center
Extension, Dougherty County
North Central Health District 5-2
University of Georgia,
North Georgia Health District 1-2
College of Family and
North Health District 2-0
Consumer Sciences
Northeast Georgia Medical Center
Cooperative Extension Service
Northeast Health District 10
Department of Foods
Northside Hospital
and Nutrition
Northwest Health District 1-1
University of West Georgia
Obesity Action Network
Urban League of Greater Columbus
Palmyra Medical Center
US Food and Drug Administration
Partnership for Community Action
USDA/FNS/WIC Southeast Region
Pastoral Institute
Valdosta State University
Perimeter North Family Medicine
Verizon Wireless
Philanthropic Collaborative for a
Walker County Department
Healthy Georgia
of Education
Phoebe Worth Medical Center
Wayne Memorial Hospital
Policy Leadership for Active
West Central Health District 7-0
Youth Initiative
West End Medical Center
Project Open Hand
West Georgia Health System
Richmond County Board of Education West Georgia RESA
Richmond County Recreation Department Wilkes Wild about Wellness
Roswell Recreation and Parks Department Worth County Board of Commissioners
Saint Joseph's Mercy Care Services
Worth County Board of Education
Satilla Regional Medical Center
YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta
Slim and Tone
Your Health America, Inc
Snellville Parks and
Recreation Department
In partnership with Governor Perdue's Live Healthy Georgia campaign
Join the Take Charge of Your Health, Georgia! Task Force
Georgia's success in preventing obesity and other chronic diseases depends on the
collaborative efforts of our partners. If you would like to be part of this effort contact the Project Coordinator, with the Georgia Division of Public Health at 404-657-2884.