Leaders throughout the county move to implement action agenda to prevent obesity and overweight

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - One hundred fifty participants came together today as part of their continued commitment to promote healthier eating and more active living in King County. This second forum of the King County Overweight Prevention Initiative built on the initial success of the first forum held last September.

“What we are doing here today is both profound and inspirational,” said King County Executive Ron Sims. “With the actions we’ve taken, we are committing to make healthy food more available across the county and make neighborhoods more walkable and bike-friendly.”

“Making healthy life style choices should be easy. More access to healthy food and more options for physical activity will create a healthier King County,” said King County Councilmember and Board of Health Chair Carolyn Edmonds. “This effort encourages sensible workplace and school policies, public planning that provides opportunities for recreation, and partnerships with local health programs. Together, these efforts are making great progress in creating a healthier King County.”

Today’s forum participants agreed to an implementation plan that includes:

Completing missing pedestrian and bicycle links in King County

Assisting school districts’ implementation of nutrition and physical activity policies that per state law need to be completed this year

Implementing “Safe routes to school” programs

Developing checklists on standards of active community design

Eliminating barriers to use of private and public facilities for physical activity, starting with community centers

Developing strategies to reduce children’s TV and screen time

Enhancing employers’ efforts to promote nutrition and physical activity through work site wellness programs, starting with schools as a model worksite

“Obesity and overweight can be debilitating, and they are also a risk factor for diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and arthritis,” said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director and Health Office at Public Health - Seattle & King County. “With broad representation from the community and a focus on implementation strategies, this Initiative is primed to reverse the growing impacts of overweight and obesity.”

“We also need strong links between researchers and policy makers," said Dr. Adam Drewnowski, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Washington and Director of the federally funded Exploratory Center for Obesity Research. “Successful policies are those that are evidence-based and backed by sound science".

In King County:

more than one in every two King County residents (54%) was overweight or obese in 2004. In 1987, 37% of the population was overweight or obese

between 1987 and 2004, obesity more than doubled, from 7% to 18%

Obesity and overweight rates are highest in south King County and among certain ethnic groups, such as African Americans and American Indians/Alaska Natives

The reasons for this rise in overweight and obesity include decreasing physical activity, increasing food intake, and changes in the surrounding environment that promote less healthy behaviors.

Today’s meeting was attended by policy makers, public health and health care professionals, school representatives, researchers, and representatives from the food industry, other businesses and communications. Speakers at today’s symposium included former Seattle Mayor Charlie Royer, Sims, Edmonds, Plough and Drewnowski.

The King County Overweight Prevention Initiative is sponsored by the King County Board of Health, the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, and Public Health - Seattle & King County. The goal of the Initiative is to identify community strategies and work together to make healthy lifestyles easier to attain in local communities.

For more information on the King County Overweight Prevention Initiative, please visit: www.metrokc.gov/health/overweight

# # #