Eat Smart, Move More…North Carolina
Initiative Overview
Mission
To reverse the rising tide of obesity and chronic disease among North Carolinians by helping them to eat smart, move more and achieve a healthy weight.
Vision
A healthy North Carolina where people eat smart and move more, reducing disease and economic burden, and improving quality of living. Each day in the life of an individual is filled with physical activity and healthy eating at school and child care, at work, in faith centers, in the community and at home.
Programs and Resources by Setting
Community
N.C. Statewide Health Promotion Program
The N.C. Statewide Health Promotion Program provides funding to all 85 local and
district health departments to support health promotion programs in local communities
throughout the state.
Physical Activity and Nutrition (PAN) Community Development Specialists provide
training and technical assistance to health departments and their community partners.
For example, the Henderson County health promotion program worked with faith
organizations, schools and community members to support physical activity
opportunities by installing curb ramps on sidewalks and pedestrian crossing signs.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health with every local and district health department, and their partners.
N.C. Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Program
The N.C. Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Program strives to promote better health for all North Carolinians by increasing their fruit and vegetable consumption
The program is administered at the state level by the NC Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Coordinator in conjunction with the N.C. Fruits & Veggies Nutrition Coalition. The coalition is composed of more than 100 members from government and industry partners, and promotes better health for all North Carolinians by encouraging them to eat more fruits and vegetables.
Through communication and events, coalition members work collaboratively in spreading the Fruits & Veggies – More Matters™ campaign and other messages throughout the state.
For example, the High Point Regional Health System's on-site Wellness Coordinator made arrangements to have local farmers bring fresh produce to the hospital and developed a regular Farmer's Market from late April through September each year.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health, N.C. Fruits & Veggies Nutrition Coalition Steering Committee, N.C. Fruits & Veggies Nutrition Coalition members/organizations.
N.C. Arthritis Program
Arthritis affects more than 2 million North Carolinians, with an incidence of one in three. Arthritis costs North Carolina in excess of $1 billion each year in lost wages.
The North Carolina Arthritis Program offers workshops, presentations, exhibits and arthritis management certification training to increase awareness about the importance of early detection, diagnosis, treatment and management of arthritis.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health, Arthritis Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other community partners.
Local Physical Activity & Nutrition Coalitions
The goal of the Local Physical Activity and Nutrition Coalition (LPAN) program is to promote physical activity and healthy eating opportunities at the community level. Each LPAN identifies its own goals and objectives based on the needs of the community it serves.
The Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch in the Division of Public Health provides administrative support to the LPAN program.
Currently, 68 of North Carolina's 100 counties have or are forming an LPAN.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health, community partners including health and fitness professionals, public and private sector representatives and interested citizens.
ACEs - Active Community Environments
ACEs are places where people of all ages and abilities are able to walk, bike or roll for both pleasure and purpose.
The ACEs Guide, entitled Winning with ACEs! How You Can Work Toward Active Community Environments, educates North Carolinians, especially public health practitioners, in planning and implementing more physical activity opportunities within their communities.
The Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch conducted six regional training events with local health promotion coordinators and their community partners to begin teaching them how to engage local planners, developers and key decision-makers.
The Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch continues to provide ongoing technical assistance for health promotion coordinators and community grant recipients who have ACEs planning objectives.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health, public health practitioners, and community partners.
Women Living Healthy, Women Living Well
Women Living Healthy, Women Living Well is an interactive CD developed for women focusing on healthy eating, physical activity and women's health issues.
The CD was created to deliver a wealth of health information, tips and fun ways to help women live healthier and higher quality lives. It is composed of five modules that teach women about different aspects of physical activity and healthy eating.
The interactive CD can be used individually or with groups in any setting - home, schools, universities, worksites or communities.
PARTNERS: N.C. Cooperative Extension Service and N.C. Division of Public Health.
Preschool
Color Me Healthy
Color Me Healthy is a statewide program designed to reach children ages 4 and 5. It provides fun, innovative, interactive learning opportunities on physical activity and healthy eating. It uses color, music and exploration of the senses to teach children that healthy food and physical activity are fun. Color Me Healthy is used in family daycare homes, Head Start classrooms and childcare centers.
More than 5,000 childcare centers use Color Me Healthy, and 40 other states have adopted this program.
Local heath promotion coordinators and Cooperative Extension agents deliver county training and provide technical assistance to childcare providers.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health and N.C. Cooperative Extension Service.
Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP-SACC)
NAP-SACC is a program aimed at improving nutrition and physical activity environments and practices in child care centers through self-assessment and targeted technical assistance. Goals of the program are to improve nutritional quality of food served, amount and quality of physical activity, staff-child interactions, and center nutrition and physical activity policy
NAP-SACC utilizes three effective approaches:
- Policy – review, revise and promote change in child care policies
- Environment – provide technical assistance to enhance child care center practices
- Communication – provide consistent messages to families and child care providers
PARTNERS: UNC Chapel Hill – Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Schools of Public Health and Medicine, and Department of Nutrition; N.C. Division of Public Health (Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch, Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Branch, and Women’s and Children’s Health Section); N.C. Cooperative Extension Service and N.C. Prevention Partners.
School
SyberShop
Currently used in more than 20 states, SyberShop is an interactive CD for youth ages 13- 19 that focuses on physical activity and healthy eating.
The CD is composed of five modules that allow teenagers to learn about different areas of physical activity, healthy eating, weight management and body image issues.
The SyberShop CD is available free to North Carolina high school health and physical education teachers, and it can be ordered nationwide.
PARTNERS: N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, N.C. Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch and N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
Energizers for Elementary and Middle School
Energizers are classroom based physical activities that help teachers integrate physical activity with academic concepts.
These are short (about 10 minute) activities that classroom teachers can use to provide activity to children which correspond with the request from the North Carolina State Board of Education's Healthy Active Children Policy for elementary teachers.
PARTNERS: N.C. Department of Public Instruction, Be Active NC, NC Healthy Schools and N.C. Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch
Eat Smart: NC’s Recommended Standards for All Foods Available in School
Released in May 2004, the Eat Smart School Standards served as the guide for implementing the legislated Healthy Food Choices “no risk” pilots in eight school districts in North Carolina’s public schools.
The document encourages schools to examine all foods and beverages available in school, not just what’s served in cafeterias.
Six additional supporting documents were developed to help schools educate school personnel and parents about ways to impact the foods and beverages available to students through fundraising, school parties and celebrations, concessions, school stores, rewards and incentives and vending.
In August 2005, the N.C. General Assembly passed and Governor Easley signed into law new requirements that limit the types and amounts of sweetened beverages sold in schools. Senate Bill 961 prohibits the sale of soft drinks of any kind in elementary schools, prohibits the sale of carbonated soft drinks in middle schools, and limits sweetened carbonated beverages to 50 percent of beverages offered in high school vending machines. The bill also requires water to be an option anywhere beverages are sold. Additionally, the bill requires schools to adopt the “Proficient” standard for vended snacks beginning in the 2006-07 school year. This standard eliminates snack vending for elementary school students, and requires that 75 percent of vended snacks in middle and high schools contain 200 calories or fewer per portion or package.
House Bill 855, ratified August 23, 2005, requires the State Board of Education to establish statewide nutrition standards for school meals, a la carte foods and beverages, and foods served in the after school program. The nutrition standards are to be based on the Eat Smart School Standards and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and promote increase in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and decrease total fat, trans fat and saturated fat, and sugar.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health, N.C. Cooperative Extension Service and N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
Move More: NC’s Recommended Standards for Physical Activity in School
Released in August 2005, this document guides Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in developing policies and practices that promote physical activity and physical education before, during and after school, as necessary for students’ academic success and overall healthy lifestyles.
This piece supports advocacy efforts for state policy regarding physical activity and education in North Carolina’s public schools.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health, N.C. Cooperative Extension Service and N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
School Fundraising Toolkit
This downloadable toolkit includes ideas and resources on how to have healthy fundraisers for schools and will be useful for PTA members, Booster Club parents and members, and anyone involved in school fundraising.
It offers planning tips, ideas on how to utilize physical activity and non-food items, and a local success story on how to have a healthy fundraiser
PARTNERS: Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch of N.C. Division of Public Health
Food For Thought
A nutrition education resource that uses the 2000 Dietary Guidelines for Americans to teach children concepts of healthy eating and physical activity.
The activities integrate healthy eating and physical activity into the Standard Course of Study objectives for math, language arts, science and healthful living.
PARTNERS: Nutrition Services Branch of N.C. Division of Public Health
N.C. Walks to School
Provides key documents and tools to address components of planning local Walk to School events.
Documents are comprehensive and provide instructional resources and examples, providing insight into particular issues that surround Walk to School programs.
Families
Families Eating Smart and Moving More
Families Eating Smart and Moving More is a program that provides families e skills they need to improve eating and physical activity behaviors to hieve a healthy weight.
The curriculum is offered in four modules: Eating Smart at Home, Eating Smart on the Run, Moving More, Everyday, Everywhere, and Moving More, Watching Less.
The program offers education resources to families through programs offered in local health departments as ll as through local Cooperative Extension Agents.
Many family physicians are referring clients to Cooperative Extension agents for counseling on healthy eating and physical activity through a Fit Together grant awarded to the N.C. Academy of Family Physicians through the N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund Commission.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health (Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch and Nutrition Services Branch), N.C. Cooperative Extension Service and N.C. Academy of Family Physicians.
EFNEP’s Families Eating Smart and Moving More
EFNEP’s Families Eating Smart and Moving More is program for limited resource families with young children.
Participants learn skills and strategies to feed their family nutritious meals on a limited budget and improve their overall health. The skills learned also help families learn how to change behaviors that place them at risk for overweight and the diseases associated with being overweight.
PARTNERS: Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), N.C. Division of Public Health (Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch and Nutrition Services Branch), N.C. Cooperative Extension Service and N.C. Academy of Family Physicians.
MyEatSmartMoveMore.com
Website offering a wealth of tips, strategies, resources, information and interactive tools to help people eat smart, move more, and get on the right track to maintaining a healthy weight.
Some of the interactive features of the site include a body mass index calculator, an “Ask the Expert” section, and a discussion board for visitors to chat with others across the state.
Faith
African-American Churches Eating Smart and Moving More
The African-American Churches Eating Smart and Moving More: A Planning and Resource Guide provides African-American church staff and members, health department staff, community partners and others with information and tools for planning and conducting nutrition and physical activity programs in churches.
The Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch and its partners will disseminate the Planning and Resource Guide to the faith community through a series of training events and provide technical assistance for those interested in making changes in their churches’ physical activity and nutrition environments.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health (Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch and Cancer Prevention and Control Branch), Shaw University Divinity School and UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.
N.C. Statewide Health Promotion Program
All local and district health departments in North Carolina participate in the N.C. Statewide Health Promotion program, and many have developed collaborative partnerships with faith-based organizations. Through these partnerships and programs, churches have made many changes to support healthy eating and physical activity.
For example, pastors have begun to promote healthy eating and physical activity from the pulpit, churches are building walking trails for members to use, and churches are planting fruit and vegetable gardens. Health Promotion Coordinators in each local or district health department can share other successes they have achieved in partnership with churches.
Worksites
Worksites Eating Smart and Moving More
Worksites Eating Smart and Moving More is an all-in-one resource for establishing a worksite wellness program that promotes and supports healthy eating and increased physical activity for employees.
It includes a committee workbook that will assist in creating and maintaining a worksite wellness committee and program, and a variety of resources and suggestions to help employees to eat smart and move more at work.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health.
NC HealthSmart Worksite Wellness Toolkit
The NC HealthSmart Worksite Wellness Toolkit is a comprehensive collection of guidelines and ready-to-use materials for state employees to use to organize a worksite wellness committee and implement worksite wellness programs.
The Toolkit is comprised of five workbooks - one on starting or enhancing a wellness committee, and four resource books that address the main aspects of a healthy lifestyle: healthy eating, physical activity, tobacco cessation and stress management.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health and North Carolina State Health Plan
Eat Smart Meeting Guide
Eat Smart North Carolina: Guidelines for Healthy Foods and Beverages at Meetings, Gatherings and Events is a planning tool that provides practical guidelines for anyone in charge of the food served at events to choose lower fat, lower-calorie foods and drinks.
The guide provides healthy food and beverage suggestions for various event meals and snacks, as well as practical tips for stocking vending machines, sample menus, and a sample Healthy Foods Policy.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health
Move More Stairwell Guide
Move More North Carolina: A Guide to Stairwell Initiatives is a useful planning tool that provides step-by-step guidelines for anyone interested in implementing a stairwell initiative.
The guide provides links to downloadable promotional signs and examples of stairwell initiatives in places across North Carolina.
Stairwell initiatives are being adopted by organizations across the state, including the N.C. Legislative Building, and are a great way of incorporating physical activity into the workday of employees who work in multi-floor buildings.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health and N.C. Cooperative Extension Service
Health Care
Patient Education Packets
These simple, downloadable patient education materials for health care professionals to offer patients to encourage healthy eating and physical activity.
The handouts address the evidence-based behaviors the Eat Smart, Move More...NC movement encourages: prepare more meals at home, tame the tube, choose to move more everyday, right-size your portions, re-think your drink, enjoy more fruits and veggies, and breastfeed your baby.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health (Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch and Nutrition Services Branch), N.C. Cooperative Extension Service and N.C. Academy of Family Physicians.
Big 5 Prescription Pads
Health Care professionals can use these customizable prescription pads to talk to patients about five important yet simple food and physical activity behaviors that will help them to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health, N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, N.C. Academy of Family Physicians, and N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund
Fast Food and Families
Fast Food and Families is an interactive CD that encourages families to choose healthy menu items when eating at fast food restaurants.
Family physicians and other health education professionals can use this CD as they work with families. The CD allows families to make their usual choices at select fast food restaurants, and compare the nutrient breakdown to their own calorie needs for a day.
The CD, which was developed by N.C. Cooperative Extension, the Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch and the N.C. Academy of Family Physicians, is being used by physicians and nutritionists with Cooperative Extension working with families, and its effectiveness will be evaluated through the Academy’s Fit Together grant.
PARTNERS: N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch and N.C. Academy of Family Physicians.
BMI: Are you at a healthy weight?
This BMI chart for adults is a great resource for health professionals to put around their office, clinic, waiting room, or anywhere else where patients will see it.
The chart can be used to determine the BMIs of patients and to start conversations about the importance of maintaining a healthy weight.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health (Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch and Nutrition Services Branch)
Policy
Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Policy
This is a sample policy establishing an organization’s support for physical activity and healthy eating and is one of the simple organizational policy changes that can be made to help us all eat smart and move more.
The NC Division of Public Health’s landmark Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Policy proclaims that meetings will include physical activity breaks as well as healthy foods and beverages, and participation in Division worksite wellness activities and facilities on the main campus will be supported by Division management.
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health, Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch
Eat Smart Move More County Profiles
A County Profile has been created for each of North Carolina’s one hundred counties.
The profiles highlight local accomplishments that increase opportunities for community members to eat smart and move more wherever they live, learn, earn, play and pray. However, they also point out the need for more policies and environments that help make healthy eating and physical activity the norm, rather than the exception.
Local communities can use their profile to advocate for policy change in their community
PARTNERS: N.C. Division of Public Health, Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch
Media
Fact Sheets
The Fact Sheets provide the how, why, what and more for the various tools and programs that support Eat Smart, Move More…North Carolina.
For ease of use, each fact sheet is presented in HTML format as well as in a downloadable PDF format.
Press Releases
Stay up to date with Eat Smart, Move More…NC through press releases regarding the work being done in NC around healthy eating and physical activity.
Graphics Library
This library contains high-resolution graphics that pertain to physical activity and healthy eating. Graphics can be downloaded free-of-charge and used to promote healthy behaviors in your community.
Advertisements
Series of professionally produced print, radio, TV and billboard advertisements focusing on the seven evidence-based behaviors that are essential to maintaining a healthy weight.
There are also two different television and radio ads featuring racecar driver, Kasey Kahne.
Current Publications
This archive of Eat Smart, Move More…NC publications is a great place to find articles and other resources related to healthy eating and physical activity.
News Story Archive
This link provides access to news stories related to healthy eating and physical activity.
Contact Directory
The Eat Smart, Move More...North Carolina Contact Directory is a helpful tool for obtaining contact information for partners statewide.
For more information please visit
www.EatSmartMoveMoreNC.com
Sheree Thaxton Vodicka
(919) 707-5217
Sheree.Vodicka@ncmail.net
