Obesity and overweight prevention: Putting in action healthy living strategies

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - More than 100 local leaders and participants, part of the King County Overweight Prevention Initiative, are putting strategies into action to prevent overweight and obesity. Tomorrow, the Initiative's third forum will highlight local activities and advance the Initiative's 10-point action plan to promote healthier eating and more active living.

"There are so many personal and societal costs associated with people being overweight, it's important that King County take a leadership role in making the community a healthier place for everyone," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "Through policy work, community programs and education, we can reduce diseases associated with being overweight and have an impact on overall healthcare costs."

The forum will feature national nutrition expert Dr. Barbara Rolls. Other speakers will include:

• King County Executive Ron Sims
• Carolyn Edmonds, Chair, King County Board of Health and King County Councilmember
• Dorothy Teeter, Interim Director and Health Officer, Public Health - Seattle & King County
• Dr. Adam Drewnowski, Director, University of Washington Exploratory Center for Obesity Research
• Dr. Maxine Hayes, State Health Officer, WA State Department of Health

This forum will be from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Tukwila Community Center,12424 42nd Ave. S, Tukwila.

The Initiative is advancing a 10-point action plan on nutrition, physical activity, design for active living and communications. Among the activities, participants will carry out a community-wide campaign to promote healthy eating and active living, assist school districts' development and implementation of nutrition and physical activity policies, enhance employers' efforts to promote nutrition and physical activity through work site wellness programs, and more.

The 10-point plan will be presented to the King County Board of Health next week and voted on by the board, as part of a resolution. More information on this Initiative.

"We want to make the healthy choices easy for our county residents," said King County Councilmember and Board of Health Chair Carolyn Edmonds. "Better access to healthy food and more options for physical activity will create a healthier King County."

"In King County we are coming up with the best practices, guidelines and policies that promote healthy living and physical activity," said Dorothy Teeter, Interim Director and Health Office at Public Health - Seattle & King County. "We are implementing strategies that will make our county healthier for years to come."

"We have created such close links between the university and the decision makers and tremendous momentum for action," said Dr. Adam Drewnowski, Professor at the University of Washington and Director of the federally-funded Exploratory Center for Obesity Research. "What motivates researchers is knowing that our work will be used to improve public health."

In King County:

• more than one in every two King County adults (54%) was overweight or obese in 2004. In 1987, 37% of the population was overweight or obese
• Obesity and overweight rates are highest in south King County and among certain ethnic groups, such as African Americans and American Indians/Alaska Natives.

The Initiative is sponsored by the King County Board of Health, the University of Washington Exploratory Center for Obesity Research and Center for Public Health Nutrition, and Public Health - Seattle & King County. Participants have been meeting since last year to identify community strategies and work together to make healthy lifestyles easier to attain in local communities.

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