Obesity Prevention in Rural Communities

State and local health departments across the country are reducing obesity rates by improving access to healthy foods and increasing opportunities for physical activity.

Health departments working in rural communities often have a hard time finding examples of what's working in other rural places. To provide more examples of obesity prevention initiatives in rural communities, the Association of Public Health Nutritionists and ChangeLab Solutions present a two-part webinar, Obesity Prevention in Rural Communities: Stories from the Field, featuring leaders from five rural communities or regions. 

Webinar 1

This webinar covered strategies to improve access to healthy food in small rural stores, how to create a culture of wellness in schools and environments that support physical activity. 

Speakers provide practical tips to implementing policy, system, and environmental changes in rural communities. Speakers include staff from Mountainwise in western North Carolina, Western Upper Peninsula District Health Department in Michigan, and Crawford County in Wisconsin.

Recording

Webinar 2

This webinar covers strategies to make healthy food more affordable through taxes and collaborating with state departments of transportation to revive rural main streets. 

Speakers include representatives from the Diné Community Advocacy Alliance (Navajo Nation), and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

Recording