Note: The online resources in this list were available through these links as of May 2008.

Coalitions
Developmental Origins of Obesity
Food Issues
Food Costs
Food Insecurity
School Food
Hispanic Health
Obesity Prevention
General
Nutrition
Physical Activity
Planning and Health
Social Determinants

Community Coalitions
Building a Sustainable Community Food System in Seattle and King County: Concept for Developing a Local Food Policy Council, Washington State University, September 27, 2005.
http://king.wsu.edu/foodandfarms/documents/SeattleKingFPCconcept.pdf. Accessed April 18, 2008.
A public-private partnership “will undertake a comprehensive food system assessment in order to identify priority areas for developing policy and program recommendations, educating and engaging the public, leveraging resources for food system improvements, and strengthening linkages among food system components. The goal of the individuals and organizations promoting this effort is to establish a Seattle/King County food policy council by the beginning of 2006.”

Seattle Partners for Healthy Communities, Public Health - Seattle & King County, January 09, 2006.
http://www.metrokc.gov/health/sphc/. Accessed April 18, 2008.
Seattle Partners for Healthy Communities (Seattle Partners) was established in 1995 as a CDC-funded Urban Research Center. The goal of their research “was to identify promising approaches through which communities and professionals can address the social determinants of health and thereby prevent disease and promote healthy behaviors and environments.” The Partners’ community collaboration principles and Center information are listed along with project and publication information. Numerous journal articles by staff cover the topic of community-based partnerships.

Community Health Partnership, Oregon's Public Health Institute, [no date].
http://www.communityhealthpartnership.org/. Accessed April 18, 2008.
The purpose of this Partnership is to Improve “the health of Oregonians through advocacy and support of effective public health policy and activities.”
Established in 1999 the CHP Board identified Prevention of Youth Obesity as a key problem. To effectively address this epidemic, CHP’s “goals are to increase public awareness of the serious health consequences of being overweight and to assist communities in the development of effective nutrition and physical activity policies and activities.” Several publications including a newsletter are available for online viewing. Examine the Programs link for grant information, and the Oregon Legislative Watch page for information on the Oregon State legislature when it is in session.

Davidow, Julie. County hears proposals on obesity. Seattle PI, September 16, 2004.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/191031_obesity16.html?searchpagefrom=11&searchdiff=251. Accessed April 18, 2008.
King County public health officials “assembled a group of 200 people -- including city planners, teachers and company executives -- to hash out solutions to rising obesity rates.” Participants “focused on changes in the community that would make it easier to eat healthy and exercise.”

Healthy & Active Rainier Valley Coalition, King County Steps to Health, Public Health - Seattle & King County, April 2, 2008.
http://metrokc.gov/health/steps/harvc/. Accessed April 7, 2008.
The Healthy and Active Rainier Valley Coalition is “a group of agencies and individuals that have come together in the Rainier Valley area of Seattle, Washington, to promote physical activity and nutrition.”
Suggested Search Engine Keywords
Collaborative partnership/s
Community coalitions
Community partnership/s

Developmental origins of obesity
Armitage J, Poston L, Taylor P. Developmental Origins of Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome: The Role of Maternal Obesity. Obesity and Metabolism. Front Horm Res, Edited by M. Korbonits. Basel, Karger, 2008. vol 36, pp 73-84.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18230895. Accessed April 18, 2008.
This chapter discusses the effects of maternal obesity on fetal development and birth outcomes as well as the manner in which DOHaD may contribute to the obesity epidemic. (DOHaD - Developmental Origins of Adult Health and Disease). PMID 18230895.

Obesity Presentation, Center for Genomics and Public Health – Obesity, October 14th, 2004.
http://depts.washington.edu/cgph/Obesity.htm. Accessed April 18, 2008.
The increasing prevalence of obesity, a complex condition, is “a major public health concern in the US. Although environmental factors play an important role in the development of obesity, there is strong evidence from both human and animal studies indicating that genes also contribute to the development of obesity.” This presentation created by UWCGPH provides public health practitioners with information about the genetics of obesity. Download the audio-assisted presentation for PC* (34 MB) and view related documents and links.

Obesity and Genetics: A Public Health Perspective, National Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, November 27, 2007.
http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/training/perspectives/obesity.htm. Accessed April 18, 2008.
"Obesity and Genetics: A Public Health Perspective" is a collaborative effort by the CDC's National Office of Public Health Genomics and the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity at CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Each Public Health Perspective “focuses on a single topic and contains information and commentary on discoveries of genetic variants, related disease outcomes, and the complex social, legal, and ethical issues surrounding genetic discoveries.” This perspective offers links to topics including, the problem of obesity, genetics of obesity, healthy weight, journal articles and presentation slides about genetics and obesity.

Oken, Emily and Gillman, Matthew W. Fetal Origins of Obesity. Obesity Research (2003) 11, 496–506.
http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v11/n4/abs/oby200369a.html. Accessed April 18, 2008.
“A new paradigm for prevention, which evolved from the notion that environmental factors in utero may influence lifelong health, has emerged in recent years. A large number of epidemiological studies have demonstrated a direct relationship between birth weight and BMI attained in later life.” (Abstract). The document reviews the various associations that might lead to obesity as one ages. Access to the full text requires a $32.00 fee and registration.

Research Project: Developmental Origins of Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease, and Other Chronic Diseases of Nutritional Lineage,
http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/projects/projects.htm?accn_no=408086. Accessed April 18, 2008.
This study that runs until April 30, 2009 is highly technical. Its objectives are to: “Characterize the components and dynamics of the GATA transcription factor complexes which suppress adipogenesis. Characterize the adipocyte role of PPARs in mediation of omega-3 fatty acid-regulation and conjugated linoleic acid regulation of decreased fat deposition. Prove that maternal dietary methyl donor supplementation before conception and during pregnancy alters DNA methylation of specific gene regions in the early embryo, and identify which genes have altered methylation as a result of these prenatal diet changes. Optimize experimental dietary protocols and screen offspring of females treated with high and low methyl donor diets for metabolic and pathological effects. Elucidate mechanisms regulating normal embryonic development and diseases of cholesterol homeostasis. Determine the role of dietary elements such as cholesterol and retinoic acid on regulation of early embryonic patterning via the Hedgehog developmental pathway. Determine if nutrition during prenatal and early postnatal development has permanent effects on epigenetic gene regulation in humans.” (Abstract)

Stemp-Morlock, Graeme. Exploring Developmental Origins of obesity. Environmental Health Perspectives, May, 2007.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CYP/is_5_115/ai_n19504900. Accessed April 18, 2008.
In this presentation scientists “looked at the question of whether prenatal chemical exposure may be predisposing some children to a life of obesity.”

Suggested Search Engine Keywords
Developmental origins of obesity
Fetal origins of obesity
Genetic factors/genetics
Childhood obesity
Simple Google search

Food Issues
Food Costs
Mapes, Lynda. Healthier Foods Getting More Costly, Study Says. The Seattle Times, December 5, 2007.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004053526_food05m.html. Accessed April 2, 2008.
Healthy food might be out of reach for some individuals due to its cost. This article reports on the findings of the Monsivais and Drenowski study cited below. The Monsivais and Drenowski paper in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association “contradicts a popular assumption that food is cheap in America.” Mapes’s article offers one suggestion for eating healthier at a lower cost.

Monsivais, Pablo and Drewnowski, Adam. The Rising Cost of Low-Energy-Density Foods, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 107(12): 2071-2076, December 2, 2007.
http://www.adajournal.org/article/PIIS0002822307018007/abstract. Accessed April 2, 2008.
This cross-sectional study “used retail food prices to test the hypothesis that low-energy-density foods are not only more costly per kilocalorie, but have increased disproportionately in price as compared to high-energy-density foods.” The study concluded that “[t]he finding that energy-dense foods are not only the least expensive, but also most resistant to inflation, [and] may help explain why the highest rates of obesity continue to be observed among groups of limited economic means. The sharp price increase for the low-energy-density foods suggests that economic factors may pose a barrier to the adoption of more healthful diets and so limit the impact of dietary guidance.”

Parker-Pope, Tara. A High Price for Healthy Food. New York Times, December 5, 2007.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/a-high-price-for-healthy-food/. Accessed April 18, 2008.
This blog article describes research done at the University of Washington comparing the “prices of 370 foods sold at supermarkets in the in the Seattle area.” According to the research it is cheaper to purchase junk foods than more costly “low-energy dense foods.” Junk foods are easier to overeat due to their flavor and because eaters must eat more to feel satisfied.

Philpott, Tom. I'm Hatin' It. How the Feds make Bad-for-you Food Cheaper than Healthful Fare, Grist, 22 Feb 2006.
http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/02/22/philpott/. Accessed April 2, 2008.
Article describes how we are spending less of our disposable income for food than in 1980 but are obese. This trend has “hit low-income groups particularly hard.” It goes on to expand on how the increase in the amount of corn that is eaten is effecting our health. Adam Drewnowski is cited numerous times in the article. Public health workers concerned with obesity will find the potato chip Food Pyramid wryly amusing.

Springen, Karen. Junk Food County. Health for Life Section, Newsweek, December 11, 2007.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/76929. Accessed April 2, 2008.
This article describes why many rural residents cannot get healthy foods and describes how country living can be unhealthy. The article describes the distance rural residents often have to go to find a supermarket, how poverty “poses a big barrier to good nutrition in rural areas” and how “eating healthier is more expensive.” The comments on this blog are also worth reading.

Two-thirds of States Get Poor Grades on School Food Report Card, CSPI Newsroom, November 28, 2007.
http://www.cspinet.org/new/200711281.html. Accessed April 2, 2008.
Kentucky and Oregon “top the nation in healthy school foods policies, but two-thirds of states have no or weak nutrition standards to limit junk-food and soda sales out of vending machines, school stores, and other venues outside of school meals, according to a school foods report card from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).”

Wagenvoord, Helen C. The High Price of Cheap Food: Mealpolitik over lunch with Michael Pollan. San Francisco Chronicle, Sunday, May 2, 2004.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/05/02/CMGE560U5I1.DTL. Accessed April 18, 2008.
Wagenvoord interviews Michael Pollan, well-known "food chain" journalist and former editor of Harper's magazine and contributing editor to the New York Times Magazine regarding how the public pays for the highly subsidized low-priced “industrial food chain” food in increased public health costs. He states, “These subsidies make unhealthy food cheaper than healthy food, and so our country is facing an obesity epidemic. The antibiotics you need for your son's illness don't work anymore because we've squandered them all on farm animals. We can't take fish from the Gulf of Mexico because of the nitrogen runoff from agricultural fertilizers. The people of Des Moines, Iowa, have to drink bottled water in the summer because their water is poisoned. Those are all costs. The phrase I (Pollan) use is 'the high cost of cheap food.' "

What Is Food Poverty? Sustainweb, 2008.
http://www.sustainweb.org/page.php?id=187. Accessed April 18, 2008.
Site defines food poverty and explores the following topics: What leads to food poverty? Who is affected by food poverty? Where does food poverty exist? What are the consequences of food poverty? and How can we tackle food poverty?

Winne, Mark.The Poor Get Diabetes, the Rich Get Local and Organic. AlterNet, January 9, 2008.
http://www.alternet.org/story/72417/. Accessed April 8, 2008.
The article is an excerpt from Mark Winne's new book, Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty (January 2008). Describes why the poor cannot afford high quality food grown locally.

Suggested Search Engine Keywords
High priced food
Food costs
Junk food
Cheap food
Simple Google search 1 Search 2

Food Insecurity

Davidow, Julie. The Obesity Crisis: A healthy diet often beyond the means of poor, hungry. Seattle PI, September 9, 2004.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/190061_obesity09.html. Accessed April 18, 2008.
In King County, “nearly 22 percent of adults living in households with incomes of less than $15,000 a year are obese, compared with almost 15 percent in homes pulling in $50,000 a year or more, according to an analysis by Public Health -- Seattle & King County of survey data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” The article explains why it is difficult to eat healthy foods when money is tight.

Domestic Food Security and Hunger Briefing Room, USDA, November 14, 2007.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FoodSecurity/. Accessed April 18, 2008.
Reports and measurement tools on the topic of food security and hunger in the United States, from USDA. Reports include: Household Food Security in the United States, 2006, Food Assistance Research Brief: Food Insecurity in Households With Children, and Guide to Measuring Household Food Security, Revised 2000. Also available are data such as the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement and FANRP Project Database.

Food Insecurity and Hunger in the United States: An Assessment of the Measure, Panel to Review U.S Department of Agriculture's Measurement of Food Insecurity and Hunger, National Research Council, 2006.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11578. Accessed April 18, 2008.
A proportion of the population “experiences food insecurity at some time in a given year because of food deprivation and lack of access to food due to economic resource constraints.” The charge to the Panel was to “undertake a two-year study in two phases to review at this 10-year mark the concepts and methodology for measuring food insecurity and hunger and the uses of the measures.” Specific charges to the Panel can be found on page 2 of the document. Conclusions are also presented in the Executive Summary and also in the full report in Chapter 8.

Obesity, Poverty, and Participation in Nutrition Assistance Programs, Office of Analysis, Nutrition and Evaluation, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, February 2005.
http://depts.washington.edu/uwcphn/download/obesitypovertysum.pdf. Accessed April 18, 2008.
This report “presents the conclusions of an expert panel convened by the Food and Nutrition Service to determine if there is scientific evidence of a relationship between [nutrition assistance] program participation and excess weight.” The report concluded that more research is necessary to determine “the simultaneous effects of program participation, poverty, and obesity”.

Suggested Search Engine Keywords
Food insecurity
Hunger
Poverty
Simple Google search 1 search 2

School Food
Kratz RE, Ponce NA, Yancey AK. Process evaluation of the Los Angeles Unified School District Nutrition Network. Prev Chronic Dis 5(2), 2008.
http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2008/apr/06_0122.htm. Accessed April 18, 2008.
Our findings suggest that schools serving students of low socioeconomic status and diverse ethnicities can be recruited into a large program to promote healthy dietary choices and physical activity, especially elementary schools.
Suggested Search Engine Keywords
Community coalitions
Elementary schools
School food
Food marketing to children
Simple Google search 1 search 2

Hispanic Health

Ramirez AG, Chalela P, Gallion K, Velez LF. Energy balance feasibility study for Latinas in Texas: a qualitative assessment. Prev Chronic Dis 2007;4(4). http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2007/oct/07_0052.htm. Accessed April 8, 2008.
The purpose of this study “was to assess knowledge, atti­tudes, and behaviors about nutrition and exercise among Latinas aged 40 years and older residing in a low-income community in Houston, Texas, and the applicability of an evidence-based church program to promote healthy energy balance.”

Weiser Idaho Selected as Intervention Site, Frontier Footnotes, Idaho Area Health Education Center, Summer 2007.
http://www.idahoahec.org/pdf/FFJune2007.pdf. Accessed April 18, 2008.
The Idaho Partnership for Hispanic Health Community Advisory Board (CAB) identified four health conditions found in resident Hispanics in southwest Idaho (diabetes, obesity/overweight, hypertension/heart disease, and cholesterol). These are considered risk factors for metabolic syndrome. Weiser, Idaho was selected as the target community for implementing an intervention to treat this condition. This intervention will include the development of a promotora program targeted at Hispanic families.

Suggested Search Engine Keywords
Hispanic health
Metabolic syndrome
Community partnership/s
Simple Google search 1 search 2

Obesity Prevention
General

CDC Nutrition and Physical Activity Legislative Database. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, August 23, 2007.
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/DNPALeg. Accessed April 18, 2008.
Web-based database of nutrition and physical activity related bills and legislation. Search parameters include state, year, topic, bill status, and text. Useful for tracking legislation by topic.

Diabetes Mellitus & Metabolic Syndrome: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Screening. Liday, Cara. Idaho State University, November 26, 2007
http://pharmacy.isu.edu/live/classnotes/2007-2008/P3_Fall/Pharmacotherapy_VIII_Endocrine/Lecture%2025-27_Liday_Patho.pdf. Accessed April 18, 2008.
This lecture gives basic background information on diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Well illustrated with charts and images.

F as in Fat 2007: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America 2007. Trust for America’s Health, 2007.
http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2007/. Accessed April 18, 2008.
Adult obesity rates “rose in 31 states last year, according to the fourth annual F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America, 2007 report from the Trust for America's Health (TFAH). Twenty-two states experienced an increase for the second year in a row; no states decreased.” This report also describes the increase in obesity rates in children. Recommendations for combating obesity include: thinking big, making healthy choices easy choices, improving the bottom line, and escalating research on how to promote healthy choices. The interactive map at the foot of the article lets readers click on a state to read state-specific obesity and obesity-related information. Obesity information for Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming are linked in this sentence.

Metabolic Syndrome, Olson, Jen. Health News & Notes, January 2005. p. 10-11.
http://www.npaihb.org/images/resources_docs/january%2005%20v34n2.pdf. Accessed April 18, 2008.
The article describes metabolic syndrome and discusses treatment. Health News & Notes is written and disseminated by the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board.

Montana Food Bank Network. [no date]
http://www.montanafoodbanknetwork.org/educate.htm. Accessed April 18, 2008.
Offers definitions of hunger, new hunger statistics, hunger in the US and Montana, poverty, the working poor, and information on the Food Bank.

Montana Nutrition and Physical Activity State Plan to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases, 2006-2010. Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, [no date].
http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/publications/obesitypreventionplan.pdf and http://150.131.192.240/Publications/Nutrition.htm. Accessed April 18, 2008.
This State Plan “outlines goals, objectives and strategies to prevent and reduce overweight and obesity among Montanans.” The evaluation of the Plan “will be guided by a philosophy of continuous program improvement.” Take time to examine the Afterword. It contains several creative strategies and plans, including community workgroup ideas that were not considered in the main document content.

Nutrition and Physical Activity: A Policy Resource Guide, Chronic Disease Prevention and Risk Reduction, Office of Community Wellness and Prevention, Washington State Department of Health, February 2005. http://www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/steps/publications/nutrition_activity_policy_guide_final.pdf. Accessed April 18, 2008.
See annotation below under this topic: Bringing Policy to Bear on Obesity.

Nutrition and Physical Activity Policy Leadership Group Web Page. Washington State Department of Health, October 27, 2006.
http://www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/steps/npa_plcy_grp.htm. Accessed April 18, 2008.
The NPA-PLG, based in Washington State, is a “collaborative partnership formed to facilitate, coordinate, and support the development, adoption, and implementation of a comprehensive, integrated and aligned set of state, regional, local, and private-sector policies that make it easier for people to choose to be physically active and to eat healthy foods.”

Nutrition and Physical Activity Policy Leadership Group (NPA-PLG), Washington State Department of Health, October 27, 2006.
http://www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/steps/npa_plcy_grp.htm. Accessed April 18, 2008.
The NPA-PLG is a broad Washington State collaborative partnership formed to help facilitate, coordinate, and support the development, adoption, and implementation of a comprehensive, integrated and aligned set of state, regional, local, and private-sector policies that make it easier for people to choose to be physically active and to eat healthy foods.

Nutrition and Physical Activity in Washington: Partners in Action, February 5, 2008.
http://depts.washington.edu/waaction/. Accessed April 7, 2008.
The Washington State Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan's overarching goal is “to build environments and establish policies that promote healthful living. Partners in Action showcases initiatives and resources that support the Plan's objectives and "make the healthy choice the easy choice" for Washington's residents.” The quarterly physical activity updates offer links to topics such as Access to Health Promoting Foods, Hunger and Food Insecurity, Breastfeeding, Access to Free or Low-Cost Recreational Opportunities for Physical Activity, Physical Activity Opportunities for Children and Active Community Environments.

Nutrition and Physical Activity: A Policy Resource Guide (PDF), Washington State Department of Health, Office of Community Wellness and Prevention, February 2005.
http://www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/steps/publications/nutrition_activity_policy_guide_final.pdf. Accessed April 7, 2008.
The Washington State Department of Health, Office of Community Wellness and Prevention developed this Guide in 2005. This document examines the obesity problem in Washington State and describes policy development to effect lasting behavioral change and offers policy options for improving nutrition and physical activities in communities, schools and worksites.

Obesity in America - Obesity Facts and Information. ObesityinAmerica.org, Endocrine Society, [no date].
http://www.obesityinamerica.org/. Accessed April 18, 2008.
The Endocrine Society and The Hormone Foundation provide the latest data, analysis and research on the obesity epidemic, weight loss, and related diseases. Download a free copy of “A Handbook on Obesity in America.” This book offers background information, obesity profiles, and resources.

The Obesity Crisis in America. Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Education Reform, Committee on Education and the Workforce, United States House of Representatives. Statement of Richard H. Carmona, Surgeon General
U.S. Public Health Service, July 16, 2003.
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/news/testimony/obesity07162003.htm. Accessed April 18, 2008.
Testimony by Dr. Carmona examines the “three key factors that we must address to reduce and eliminate childhood obesity in America. They are: Increased physical activity; Healthier eating habits; and Improved health literacy.”

Herling, Daphne. Obesity and Poverty: Major Concerns for Montana's Children. Montana Business Quarterly, September 22 2004.
http://www.allbusiness.com/north-america/united-states-montana/285897-1.html. Accessed April 18, 2008.
Children in Montana are overweight; only 62.3 percent of Montana high school students spent 20 minutes exercising or participating in physical activities. The article goes on to discuss how the Montana 2004 Data Book takes a deeper look at the issue of childhood obesity. It describes methods of involving the parents in improving the health of their children through paying attention to their eating behaviors, physical activity, and general weight control. The implications of poverty on children’s weight is also discussed. Of particular interest is the description of the two programs that are run by the Missoula City-County Health Department - the MOVE Program and the CATCH Program.

Obesity and Weight Control, Rural Assistance Center (RAC), February 19, 2008.
http://www.raconline.org/info_guides/obesity/. Accessed April 18, 2008.
Site describes the problems rural communities are having with increasing rates of obesity and with such barriers as “higher poverty levels, less access to settings, foods, and services that facilitate physical activity and healthy eating, and limited school resources to provide nutrition education and physical education.”

Oregon Obesity Programs, Obesity Programs by State. ObesityDiscussion.com, 2000-2008.
http://www.obesitydiscussion.com/forums/obesity-programs-by-state/oregon-obesity-programs-192.html. Accessed April 18, 2008.
This online forum, one of many state-based forums, “offers a place to talk about the latest obesity studies, information on obesity, childhood obesity, healthy recipes (such as the atkins diet), obesity surgery, diet pills, exercise, weight loss support issues, and more.” The audience is the general public.

Public Health Strategies for Preventing and Controlling Overweight and Obesity in School and Worksite Settings: A Report on Recommendations of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Katz, DL, et al. MMWR, October 7, 2005 / 54(RR10);1-12.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5410a1.htm. Accessed April 8, 2008.
Reducing morbidity and mortality related to overweight and obesity is “a public health priority. Various interventions in school and worksite settings aim to maintain or achieve healthy weight. To identify effective strategies for weight control that can be implemented in these settings, the Task Force on Community Preventive Services (Task Force) has conducted systematic reviews of the evidence on nutrition, physical activity, combinations of these interventions, and other behavioral interventions (e.g., cognitive techniques such as self-awareness and cue recognition).”

This report “describes the methods used in these systematic reviews; provides additional information regarding these recommendations; and cites sources for full reviews containing details regarding applicability, other benefits and harms, barriers to implementation, research gaps, and economic data (when available) regarding interventions.”

State of the Evidence Review on Urban Health and Healthy Weights. Canadian Institute for Health Information, April 3, 2008.
http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=GR_1929_E&cw_topic=1929 (Announcement). Accessed April 18, 2008.
http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=download_form_e&cw_sku=SEROUHHWPDF&cw_ctt=2&cw_dform=null. (PDF File). Accessed April 18, 2008.
The “rapid rise in obesity rates in Canada over the past two decades has led to a call for more effective approaches to assist populations in achieving healthy weights. Research on the health of populations has provided support for the notion that there are relationships between where people live and their health status. To generate and synthesize knowledge in its theme areas of Healthy Weights and Place and Health (with a focus on urban health), CPHI commissioned a systematic literature review of the evidence on associations between modifiable characteristics of urban environments and healthy weights.” (Abstract). The Institute “collects and analyzes information on health and health care in Canada and makes it publicly available.”

State of Oregon: Physical Activity and Nutrition Program, Department of Human Services, [no date].
http://oregon.gov/DHS/ph/pan/index.shtml. Accessed April 18, 2008.
The purpose of this site is “to promote daily physical activity and healthy eating through implementation of Oregon's State Plans.” Lists publications and resources of interest to those wishing to be kept informed on physical activity and nutrition in Oregon.

University of Washington Center for Obesity Research (UW-COR), September 113, 2007.
http://depts.washington.edu/uwecor/. Accessed April 7, 2008.
The mission of this Center is “to foster research that integrates the biomedical, public health, and policy aspects of the obesity epidemic. We are working to create interdisciplinary research teams and cross-agency collaborations to leverage the strengths, concepts, and skills of multiple areas of expertise in order to pursue innovative systems-level strategies for obesity prevention.” The site currently lists events, projects, and resources including policy resources, program evaluation, obesity links, funding sources, obesity health data and to UW-COR E-bulletins.

WA State Nutrition and Physical Activity State Plan: Policy and Environmental Approaches. Nutrition and Physical Activity, Washington State Department of Health, September 18, 2007.
http://www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/NutritionPA/our_states_approach/npa_state_plan/default.htm. Accessed April 18, 2008.
The Washington State Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan was launched in June 2003, to promote environmental and policy changes that encourage healthy eating and physical activity. Examine the State Plan or the Executive Summary.

WIN the Rockies - Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, [no date].
http://www.uwyo.edu/wintherockies/. Accessed April 18, 2008.
WIN the Rockies is a community-based research, development and education project to improve health in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. This program believed that “communities must create environments that foster good health and provide healthy options” to enhance personal responsibility for health. Wellness IN the Rockies “sought to address obesity innovatively and effectively.” Key partners, research, journal articles, resource lists, thought bullets, video and educational materials are available for viewing. Of interest is the project’s chart of Primary Interventions. The chart offers an overview of their intervention efforts and impacts.

Nutrition

Center for Public Health Nutrition, University of Washington. February 28, 2008.
http://depts.washington.edu/uwcphn/. Accessed April 18, 2008.
The purpose of this University of Washington Center is to “advance and promote public health practice to improve nutrition and reduce obesity.” In addition to the activities of the center the site includes information on its key partners and on news and events relevant to its purpose. Look for resources in Nutrition and Physical Activity Policy & Legislation, Community Nutrition and Physical Activity, School Nutrition & Physical Activity, Maternal and Child Nutrition, Hunger and Food Insecurity, Urban Planning & Design, and on the Washington State Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan. Also of interest to researchers and to the public is the Research Data, Literature & Centers section.

Eat Right Montana, Montana PTA, September 2, 2004.
http://www.montanapta.org/sections/ptaprograms/eatright.htm. Accessed April 18, 2008.
Eat Right Montana (ERM), a coalition promoting healthful eating and active lifestyles. In addition to a monthly Healthy Families packet, Eat Right Montana offers resources that include:

• Eat Right Montana Information
• Simple Steps for a Healthy Weight
• 12 Ways to Create a Healthy Eating Style
• 12 Ways to Create an Active Lifestyle
• Finding a Food Diary or Activity Log
• Walk of Life Program
• More Simple Steps for a Healthy Weight

The Healthy Families packets are worth looking at for their in-depth discussions on topics of nutritional and exercise interest to the public.
Environmental and Nutrition Activity Community Tool (ENACT), Strategic Alliance for Healthy Food and Activity Environments, 2005.
http://www.preventioninstitute.org/sa/enact/enact/index.htm, Accessed April 8, 2008.
ENACT is “a concrete menu of strategies designed to help you improve nutrition and activity environments on a local level. These strategies have been organized into seven environments that were carefully selected for their importance in individual and community health.”

Each ENACT strategy “presents useful information based on current research and practice and includes model policies and programs, hands-on tools, articles and other publications, and resources. The strategies are structured to be interactive so that implementation can become a reality.”

Look for suggestions and forms for improving nutrition and the activity environment in such areas as child care, school, after-school, community, the workplace, healthcare and government.

Rainier Valley Eateries Dishing Up Healthier Food, Ho, Vanessa. Seattle PI, November 6, 2007.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/338535_healthyfood07.html. Accessed April 8, 2008.
A community health initiative, the Healthy and Active Rainier Valley Coalition, is helping Rainier Valley restaurants serve healthier food, and combat the area's rising and disproportionately high rates of diabetes and obesity. Restaurant owners describe how they have made their entrees healthier with help from the Coalition.

Physical Activity

Community Guide: Physical Activity, February 21, 2008.
http://www.thecommunityguide.org/pa/default.htm. Accessed April 18, 2008.
The Guide to Community Preventive Service’s systematic reviews of the effectiveness of selected population-based interventions are designed to increase levels of physical activity focused on interventions in three areas:

• Informational approaches to increasing physical activity.
• Behavioral and social approaches to increasing physical activity.
• Environmental and policy approaches to increasing physical activity.

Also look for reports and commentaries as well as evidence tables and their logic model. Looking for new research? Be sure to examine the Research questions suggested for further study link.

MOVE, Missoula, Missoula County (MT) Health Department, 2000-2007.
http://www.co.missoula.mt.us/healthpromo/MOVE.htm. Accessed April 7, 2008.
Missoula County MOVE site offers information on Healthy Living (valuable local links on a variety of healthy living topics), eating smart (very useful links), increasing physical activity, and the healthy built environment.

Shape Up Montana! Big Sky State Games Online, [no date].
http://www.shapeupmontana.org/. Accessed April 18, 2008.
This is the official site of Shape Up Montana a team wellness program designed to get Montana to "Shape Up". It offers fitness plan flow charts, an activity conversion chart, personal mile log sheet, and other tools and articles to help their target audience “shape up.”

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State plan

Planning and Health

Building a Sustainable Community Food System in Seattle and King County: Concept for Developing a Local Food Policy Council, Washington State University, September 27, 2005.
http://king.wsu.edu/foodandfarms/documents/SeattleKingFPCconcept.pdf. Accessed April 18, 2008.
A public-private partnership “will undertake a comprehensive food system assessment in order to identify priority areas for developing policy and program recommendations, educating and engaging the public, leveraging resources for food system improvements, and strengthening linkages among food system components. The goal of the individuals and organizations promoting this effort is to establish a Seattle/King County food policy council by the beginning of 2006.”

Planning for Healthy Places, Public Health Law and Policy, [no date].
http://www.healthyplanning.org/. Accessed Accessed April 18, 2008.
Planning for Healthy Places at Public Health Law & Policy “works to engage public health advocates in the land-use decision-making process throughout California. We develop tools for training advocates in the relationship between the built environment and public health, and provide technical assistance for creating and implementing land use policies that support healthier communities.”
Examine valuable resources including toolkits: How to Create and Implement Healthy General Plans and Planning for Healthy Places: Economic Development and Redevelopment Toolkit. Factsheets and profiles of communities that adopted land use policies that support public health are highlighted. A free Healthy Planning newsletter is available for download or subscription.

Policy Guide on Community and Regional Food Planning, American Planning Association, May 11, 2007.
http://www.planning.org/policyguides/food.htm. Accessed April 18, 2008.
This policy guide “seeks to strengthen connections between traditional planning and the emerging field of community and regional food planning. As such, two overarching goals are offered for planners: Help build stronger, sustainable, and more self-reliant community and regional food systems, and, Suggest ways the industrial food system may interact with communities and regions to enhance benefits such as economic vitality, public health, ecological sustainability, social equity, and cultural diversity.”

Public Health – Seattle & King County’s Push for the Built Environment, National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) [No Date].
http://www.neha.org/pdf/research/SeattleKingCountyfinalCaseStudy2006.pdf. Accessed April 18, 2008.
This PDF document explores “why health professionals are increasingly getting involved in land use planning and smart growth issues. Data from a recent King County study makes the answer clear: Residents of “walkable” communities are more physically active and less overweight, breathe cleaner air, and lead healthier lifestyles.” In 2004, Environmental Health Division of Public Health-Seattle & King chose Land Use, Built Environment and Health (LUBEH) as one of its top three strategic directions.

Spotlight on Public Health Seattle and King County, National Association of County and City Health Officials, [No Date].
www.naccho.org/topics/hpdp/land_use_planning/documents/SeattleKingCounty.pdf. Accessed April 18, 2008.
This NACCHO publication documents the work done by Public Health – Seattle and King County (PHSKC) in addressing the public health implications of community design through the building of an “advocacy pool” in order to get stakeholders on the same page. PHSKC has broadened the vision of what public health is to include planning to create healthier communities.

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Social Determinants
Bleich S, Cutler D, Murray C, Adams A. Why Is the Developed World Obese? Annu Rev Public Health. 2008 Apr 21;29:273-295. PMID: 18173389.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18173389. Accessed April 18, 2008.
Results “indicate that the increase in caloric intake is associated with technological innovations as well as changing sociodemographic factors. This review offers useful insights to future research concerned with the etiology of obesity and suggests that obesity-related policies should focus on encouraging lower caloric intake.” (Author Abstract).

Drewnowski A, Rehm CD, Solet D. Disparities in obesity rates: analysis by ZIP code area. Soc Sci Med. 2007 Dec;65(12):2458-63. Epub 2007 Aug 29.
PMID: 17761378.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17761378. Accessed April 18, 2008.
Obesity in the United States “has been linked to individual income and education. Disparities in obesity rates by ZIP code area were greater than disparities associated with individual income or race/ethnicity.” (Author Abstract).

Irwin, Alec, et al. The Commission on Social Determinants of Health: Tackling the Social Roots of Health Inequities. PLOS MEDICINE, May 23, 2006.
http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0030106&ct=1. Accessed April 18, 2008.
This article describes the work of the CSDH between March 2005 and May 2008. Its goal “is to strengthen health equity. It aims to do so by catalyzing policy and institutional change to address SDH within countries, among institutions working in global health, and within WHO itself.” Examine the five key action areas and review examples of how the CSDH is working with member countries.

Krieger J et al, Using Community-Based Participatory Research to Address Social Determinants of Health: Lessons Learned from Seattle Partners for Healthy Communities. Health Education & Behavior 29 (3): 361-382, 2002.
http://heb.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/29/3/361. Accessed April 18, 2008.
This article “describes three SPHC projects that focus on social determinants of health, particularly the development of social support and improving housing quality. The characteristics of community participation in each of these projects are discussed and show a spectrum of participation. Although projects successfully addressed proximal social factors affecting health, influencing more distal underlying factors was more difficult. Implications for researchers using a community-based participatory research approach and public health practitioners seeking to engage communities in addressing social determinants of health are presented.” (Abstract).

Nicklas, Patrick H, A Review of Family and Social Determinants of Children’s Eating Patterns and Diet Quality. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 24, No. 2, 83-92 (2005).
http://www.jacn.org/cgi/reprint/24/2/83. (PDF version). Accessed April 18, 2008.
With the growing problem of childhood obesity, “recent research has begun to focus on family and social influences on children’s eating patterns. Research has demonstrated that children’s eating patterns are strongly influenced by characteristics of both the physical and social environment. With regard to the physical environment, children are more likely to eat foods that are available and easily accessible, and they tend to eat greater quantities when larger portions are provided. Additionally, characteristics of the social environment, including various socioeconomic and sociocultural factors such as parents’ education, time constraints, and ethnicity influence the types of foods children eat.” (Author abstract).

Patrick, Heather and Nicklas, Theresa A. A Review of Family and Social Determinants of Children’s Eating Patterns and Diet Quality. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 24, No. 2, 83-92, 2005.
http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/abstract/24/2/83. Accessed April 18, 2008.
Research focused on the growing pattern of childhood obesity examines “family and social influences on children’s eating patterns.” “Interventions aimed at improving children’s nutrition need to address the variety of social and physical factors that influence children’s eating patterns.”

Social Determinants of Health, Washington State Department of Health,
http://www.doh.wa.gov/HWS/doc/RPF/RPF_soc.doc. Accessed April 18, 2008.
Social conditions “are major determinants of health. Social forces acting at a collective level shape individual biology, individual risk behaviors, environmental exposures, and access to resources that promote health. There is a graded relationship between social position and health status that affects people at all levels of the social hierarchy.” (Abstract) This document describes the relationship between health and social factors in Washington State and offers explanations for the relationship. Several intervention strategies are offered at the end of the document along with an extensive bibliography.

Social determinants of health. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, March 29, 2008.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_determinants_of_health. Accessed April 18, 2008.
Defines the term, social determinants of health, and offers a list of those determinants. Provides related and external links.

The Social Determinants of Health: An Overview of the Implications for Policy and the Role of the Health Sector. Health Canada, March 22, 2004.
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ph-sp/phdd/overview_implications/01_overview.html. Accessed April 8, 2008.
In late 2002, “400 social and health policy experts, community representatives, and health researchers met at York University at a conference entitled "Social Determinants of Health Across the Life-Span". The purpose of the conference was to consider the state of key social determinants of health (SDOH) across Canada, explore the implications for the health of Canadians, and discuss policy directions to strengthen these social determinants of health.”

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Social determinants