Obesity Program
Obesity Advocacy and Community Programs
Our Obesity Program team is actively engaged in establishing or participating in community networks to maximize their impact in addressing the complexities of childhood obesity. Our vision is to help reduce obesity – and health conditions that can occur with it, like high blood pressure, diabetes, liver and heart disease – and to improve the quality of life of children and teens who are overweight or obese.
Partnerships
The Obesity Program partners with local, regional and national organizations to promote healthy eating and active living within the community. They include:
Local/Statewide Coalitions and Initiatives
Because the problem of childhood and teen overweight and obesity goes beyond individual and personal responsibility, we are involved in several community-wide coalitions and initiatives that are taking steps to stop the obesity epidemic:
- Childhood Obesity Action Network is an action-oriented organization dedicated to improving the quality of healthcare provided to children. They provide tools and support for healthcare providers to prevent and manage obesity within the clinical setting and to promote provider advocacy around policy change.
- Everyone Swims! (PDF) is a partnership to increase access to swimming and water recreation among culturally diverse and low-income families in Seattle and King County. Everyone Swims! is part of the Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative, which addresses obesity prevention and tobacco cessation.
- Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities is working to improve healthy lifestyles for families in low-income housing.
- King County Food and Fitness Initiative, located in Delridge and White Center (Seattle), works to offer fresh produce at local corner grocers, engage youth in leading change, promote school-based efforts such as school gardens and enhance the physical environment with projects like completed sidewalks.
- NACHRI FOCUS on a Fitter Future is a collaboration of 25 children’s hospitals around the country to make recommendations about the role of children’s hospitals in preventing and managing obesity.
- UW Center for Public Health Nutrition fosters collaborative research that integrates the biomedical, public health and policy aspects of the obesity epidemic.
- Washington Action for Healthy Kids supports schools and communities in their efforts to be places where students can be physically active and choose healthy foods.
- Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition is a Washington statewide coalition of organizations working on policy change to improve our overall environment and access to healthy foods so our children live a healthy, active lifestyle.
- Transforming the Health of South King County
is a partnership with Public Health – Seattle and King County (PHSKC), Healthy King County Coalition (HKCC) and youth, families and communities in South Seattle and South King County to work on obesity prevention and tobacco control, particularly among youth. Areas of focus include the cities of Auburn, Burien, Des Moines, Kent, North Highline, Renton, SeaTac and Tukwila, and the Seattle neighborhoods of Beacon Hill, Georgetown and South Park. This effort is supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read more.
Community Outreach
We are present at many community events throughout Washington, bringing information and resources about healthy lifestyles.
Healthy Hospital
Supporting children and families in being healthy requires that we, as a healthcare organization, model healthy choices. Children’s offers its staff an inclusive wellness program that includes on-site fitness classes, weight management and tobacco cessation programs. We also promote active commuting to work and offer healthy food and beverage options.
In 2009 the AHA awarded Start! Fit-Friendly Gold Level recognition to Children’s for its efforts in promoting a culture of wellness at work.