KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Tomorrow, 150 local leaders and participants will meet in the 5th Forum of the King County Overweight Prevention Initiative (KCOPI) to advance its action plan promoting healthier eating and more active living. The Forum theme, “Equity,” will guide the day’s efforts to develop innovative strategies to improve the health of all King County residents.

“We must address the causes of obesity and chronic disease in our community,” said King County Executive Ron Sims. “Local policies and programs that make choosing nutritious foods and a physically active lifestyle must work for our most vulnerable populations.”

Tomorrow’s 5th KCOPI Forum will feature national health policy expert Dr. Wendy Johnson-Taylor from the National Institutes of Health speaking on strategies for reducing health disparities. Other presenters include:

• Ron Sims, King County Executive
• Julia Patterson, Chair, King County Board of Health and King County Councilmember
• Dorothy Teeter, Interim Director and Health Officer, Public Health - Seattle & King County
• Dr. Adam Drewnowski, Director, University of Washington Exploratory Center for Obesity Research (University of Washington, Center for Public Health Nutrition)
• Dr. Laura Streichert, ECOR
• Roger Hoesterey, Vice President and Regional Director, the Trust for Public Land
• A panel of community members sharing discussing programs that facilitate equal access to physical activity and healthy food.

The Forum will be from 9 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Seattle Center, Olympic Room in Seattle.

Cultural and environmental changes over the last decades have made it too easy to put on pounds through eating unhealthy foods and engaging in less physical activity. The King County Overweight Prevention Initiative is working to identify and implement strategies to help people of all ages, races and ethnicities to eat better and be more active where they live, work, go to school, and play. The semi-annual forums are opportunities for researchers, public health practitioners, clinicians, and community members to hear about projects being done locally, as well as be informed about the latest research results.

A few examples of work by Initiative participants include:

• The “Live outside the box” educational campaign was launched to reduce TV and screen time and includes radio PSAs, a series of posters, and a toolkit in English and Spanish.
• Community members in King County are meeting monthly to discuss strategies to increase access to fresh local produce.
• Initiative members are working with local officials to advance awareness of the health risks of trans fats.

To see more examples of local community efforts being carried out by Initiative participants, visit: www.metrokc.gov/health/overweight.

In King County, more than one in every two King County adults (54%) was overweight or obese in 2004. In 1987, 37% of the population was overweight or obese. 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 King County Overweight Prevention Initiative, started in 2004, is sponsored by King County, the King County Board of Health, Public Health - Seattle & King County, and the University of Washington Center for Public Health Nutrition and Exploratory Center for Obesity Research.

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