LOCAL POLICY DATABASE: PROMISING PRACTICES IN NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Funded by: The California Endowment

Widespread attention to the damaging effects of unhealthy eating and activity environments has sparked action at the local level.  Cities and counties throughout California and the nation represent fertile testing grounds for new policies that support healthy eating and physical activity.  Prevention Institute’s Local Policy Database will provide health advocates, local policy makers and the media with examples of local policies aimed at promoting healthy nutrition and physical activity.

Chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and many forms of cancer are associated with sedentary behaviors and unhealthy dietary intake.  Recognizing that local decisions such as community design and product availability can influence eating and activity behaviors, many local jurisdictions are working to reshape their schools, communities and institutions. 

California has made great strides, enacting state-level policies to improve student nutrition and safe routes to school.  Tremendous opportunities remain at both the state and local level.  In diverse disciplines, from tobacco use prevention to violence prevention, local policy has been a catalyst for policy adoption and implementation in other local jurisdictions, as well as an impetus for state and federal change.  The Local Policy Database will catalogue promising policies in nutrition and activity to:

1. Provide health advocates with concrete examples of what’s being tried / adopted in other locales,

2. Demonstrate the range of physical activity / nutrition-related policies that are emerging,

3. Highlight promising policy activities that are occurring at the local level, and to

4. Facilitate networking among local policymakers and advocates around successes and challenges.

Prevention Institute will collect policies through soliciting key informants and monitoring public documents.  If you are interested in learning more about the Local Policy Database, or if you would like to contribute a local policy, please contact Manal J. Aboelata, MPH at 323.296.5750 or manal@63.134.213.124.

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