Partnership with DHHS helps N.C. Housing Finance Agency win national “Program Excellence” award for the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program

N.C. Obesity Plan Released During National Summit A team of obesity prevention professionals from across the state released a new five-year plan, Eat Smart, Move More: North Carolina’s Plan to Prevent Overweight, Obesity and Related Chronic Diseases, during a national obesity summit in Raleigh on Aug. 29. They also released the Eat Smart, Move More County Profiles, a collection of one-page documents profiling the successes and needs of each county in the state in the area of obesity prevention.

The plan is designed to help organizations and individuals address overweight and obesity in communities and begin to create policies and environments that support healthy eating and physical activity.

The plan’s four goals are:

• Increase healthy eating and physical activity opportunities for all North Carolinians by improving policies and environments.
• Increase the percentage of North Carolinians who are at a healthy weight.
• Increase the percentage of North Carolinians who eat a healthy diet.
• Increase the percentage of North Carolinians of all ages who participate in the recommended amounts of physical activity.

The Eat Smart, Move More State Plan maps out specific ways to increase people’s awareness of healthy eating and physical activity, change behaviors, and create policies and environments that help people to health a more healthy diet and to become more physically active.

“Through these strategies, we can all come together to create a North Carolina where healthy eating and physical activity are the norm, rather than the exception,” said Kathryn Kolasa, a member of the Eat Smart, Move More State Plan writing team. “Working together we can create a North Carolina where adults and children of all ages and abilities eat smart and move more wherever they live, learn, work, play and pray.”

Also announced was the release of the Eat Smart, Move More County Profiles. The Profiles – one for each of the state’s 100 counties – highlight local successes in the area of obesity prevention, but also emphasize the need for more policies and environments that help make healthy eating and physical activity the norm, rather than the exception.

“We are excited to be able to offer this resource to each of the counties in our state,” said Cathy Thomas, head of the Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch. “We should be proud of what our counties are doing – they have taken great strides in increasing opportunities for members of communities to eat smart and move more. However, there is a lot of work to be done and it will take all of us working together to make a difference.”

The release of these documents was a part of the Healthier North Carolina Summit, a day-long conference that brought together state and national leaders and experts to address the fight against obesity. The event was hosted by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the N.C. Division of Public Health, in partnership with Healthy Carolinians.

Both the Plan and the Profiles are on the web at www.EatSmartMoveMoreNC.com.

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Last Modified: October 3, 2006