Northwest Public Health Spring/Summer 2008

Preventing Obesity: Moving Beyond Individual Responsibility

Reframing Obesity Prevention
Laura Streichert, Donna Johnson, and Adam Drewnowski
Three guest editors from the UW School of Public Health and Community Medicine bring their expertise in obesity prevention to consider the social determinants of obesity and the intermediate factors that must be addressed to stem the rising obesity rates.

View Point: The High Cost of Low-Priced Food
Adam Drewnowski and Pablo Monsivais
Cheap junk food and expensive nutritious foods make obesity prevention a challenge.

Why Help Moms? Critical Periods for Nutrition
Elizabeth Adams and Susan Bagby
Prenatal nutrition sets in motion the body’s future relationship to weight.

Community Coalition Starts with Parents
Sonia Manhas
A Portland community coalition builds social capacity as it helps Hispanic parents assess the environment of their local elementary schools.

Food Insecurity: Family Problem, Community Challenge
Shelley Curtis
A look at the issue of food insecurity and the health ramifications of hunger, including its relationship to obesity.

Planning Ahead for Healthy Communities
Julie West
The author describes Public Health - Seattle & King County’s work with other agencies and community groups to include health issues in community development and planning.

Giving Community Voice to Health Promotion
Leonie Sutherland and Dawn Weiler
The authors describe a community partnership to pilot a health education project to address metabolic syndrome in an Idaho Hispanic community.

Partners in Action: Collaborating to Prevent Obesity
Erin MacDougall and Matias Valenzuela
The authors outline the activities of an urban Overweight Initiative and the community partnership that makes it work.

On the Frontier Against Obesity
Ninia Baehr
A frontier Montana town engages in comprehensive efforts to increase residents’ physical activity and access to healthy food.

Integrating Equity into Public Health Practice
Marilyn Sitaker and Gail Brandt
Sitaker and Brandt outline the efforts to incorporate social determinants and health equity into planning in the Office of Community Wellness and Prevention at Washington State DOH.
Table of training's objectives, presenters, and key concepts

Nurses on the Frontlines of Community Health
Betty Bekemeier
The author presents an historical overview of nurses’ involvement in improving environmental health conditions and calls for increased training in environmental health for nurse students.

Northwest Region at a Glance. Obesity in the Northwest and Social and Economic Indicators for Obesity

From the Dean: Building a Research Base for Obesity Prevention

From the Editor

Web Special: Annotated Resources on Obesity Prevention
Laura Larsson

Complete Spring/Summer 2008 issue (low resolution PDF)