Preventing Childhood Obesity: Policy and Practice Strategies for North Carolina
Author: Owen, Jenni, Ed.
Date: 2011-05-04
Type: Collected Works - General
Subjects: Program Effectiveness,Stakeholders,Child Care,Gardening,Seminars,Early Childhood Education,Prevention,Obesity,State Legislation,State Government,Local Government,Educational Policy,Educational Practices,Child Health,Agricultural Occupations,School Community Relationship,Etiology,Public Health,Young Children,Early Intervention,Preschool Education

North Carolina Family Impact Seminars (NCFIS) include annual seminars, briefing reports and follow-up activities designed specifically for state policymakers, including legislators and legislative staff, the governor and executive branch staff, and state agency representatives. The Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University convenes the seminars. With materials made publicly available on the Center's website following each seminar, the reach of NCFIS extends to a wide range of organizations and individuals including state and local government officials, leaders of nonprofit agencies, and scholars from Duke and other institutions of higher education. The seminars provide objective, nonpartisan, solution-based research on a topic of current concern to state policymakers. The seminars address how policies and practices impact children and families. Each year, topic selection is guided by legislators and legislative staff based on their concerns and those of their colleagues and constituents, as well as their knowledge of what is likely to be addressed during current and future legislative sessions. Through NCFIS, research, information and insight related to policy, practice and programs are presented in two ways: (1) By experts who present and interact with stakeholders at the seminar; and (2) Through briefing materials produced for the seminar. This report, &quot;Preventing Childhood Obesity: Policy and Practice Strategies for North Carolina,&quot; was prepared for the 2011 North Carolina Family Impact Seminar. The report focuses on ways in which farming and early childhood education communities can collaborate to combat obesity among young children. It addresses a number of the issues raised in the 2010 &quot;North Carolina Enhanced Nutrition Standards for Child Care: Final Report to the General Assembly.&quot; This report includes the following briefs: (1) Causes and consequences of childhood obesity: What the research says (Maeve Gearing); (2) The childhood obesity problem in North Carolina and why focusing on the youngest children makes sense (Kelly Evans and Joel Rosch); (3) Farm to school and farm to child care: Summary of policies and programs (Jeannine Sato and Jenni Owen); (4) Farm to preschool and preschool garden strategies to combat early childhood obesity (Sara Benjamin Neelon and Kelly Evans); and (5) Policy approaches that support farm to preschool and preschool garden strategies for preventing early childhood obesity (Sara Benjamin Neelon and Joel Rosch). Appended are: (1) Organizational Resources; (2) Glossary of Relevant Terms; (3) Relevant Acronyms; (4) NC Department of Health and Human Services April 2011 Press Release; and (5) Annotated Bibliography. Individual briefs contain endnotes.