The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) and the Connecticut Commission on Children have teamed up in the battle against obesity. Below are a host of resources for leading a more active, healthier life. There's also help for municipal and community leaders who want to support families in this effort.

General | Families | Schools | Municipal Leaders
 

General

"Childhood Obesity in Connecticut: A Health Epidemic," a fact sheet from the Connecticut Commission on Children. (PDF) Updated 9/28/06

Contact information for the Connecticut Childhood Obesity Advisory Council, a collaboration between the Commission and the Connecticut Department of Public Health. (Web page)

Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Prevention Program of the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

"Childhood Obesity," an overview of the latest issue of The Future of Children, a publication of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and The Brookings Institution. This PDF must be downloaded from the organization's website.

"Weighing In: Early Childhood Obesity in Bridgeport," a 2006 report from the Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition. This PDF must be downloaded from the organization's website.

"Preventing Obesity and Chronic Diseases Through Good Nutrition and Physical Activity," from the Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This PDF must be downloaded from the organization's website.

Institute for Youth, Education, & Families - A resource of the National League of Cities.

Healthy Youth! - A resource of the Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

U.S. Surgeon General fact sheet on overweight and obesity.

Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity - Based at Yale University.

"Progress in Preventing Childhood Obesity: How Do We Measure Up?" - From the National Institute of Medicine. PDFs: Summary - Section on community involvement - Recommendations -

Families

Links to local health departments - Courtesy of the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health (CADH)

5-3-1 for Healthy Kids - A healthy-eating initiative developed by a coalition of state agencies and other organizations.

Captain Five-a-Day - He's got plenty of healthy lifestyle information.

No Child Left Inside - A Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection initiative to encourage families to enjoy state parks and forests.

Alliance for a Healthier Generation

Calculate your body mass index (BMI) - A tool provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Connecticut WIC - A special supplemental nutrition program for pregnant women, new mothers, and young children.

We Can! - A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services program that gives parents and caregivers practical tools for helping children stay at a healthy weight.

Schools

"Action Guide for School Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies" - From the Connecticut Department of Education.

More school nutrition information from the Connecticut Department of Education.

Connecticut Farm-to-School Program

Public Act No. 06-63: An Act Concerning Healthy Food and Beverages in Schools. This is the new school nutrition law. For the legislative history, click here. For a COC news release summarizing the law, click here.

"School Beverage Guidelines," a background report from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which was founded by the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation. This PDF must be downloaded from the organization's website.

Public Act No. 06-44: An Act Promoting the Physical Needs of Students. This law, adopted by the 2006 General Assembly, encourages exercise and student wellness in schools by requiring local and regional boards of education to adopt guidelines to coordinate services and programs. For the legislative history, click here. For a COC news release summarizing the law, click here.

Municipal Leaders

"Combating Childhood Obesity: Action Kit for Municipal Leaders" - From the National League of Cities (PDF)

"Food for Thought: Acting Locally to Address Childhood Obesity" - Resources from a forum for municipal officials head at the Lyceum Resource and Conference Center on Hartford on June 27, 2006. It was sponsored by the Commission and CCM.

"NorWALKER Program" - A model approach to encouraging exercise, from the Norwalk Department of Health.

Healthy Eating Active Living Resource Toolkit - A municipal planning resource offered by the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health (CADH).

Action for Healthy Kids

"Financing Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs: Federal Funding Sources and Other Strategies," a 65-page report from The Finance Project. This PDF must be downloaded from the organization's website.

"Youth Obesity Newsletter," February 2006 issue, from the National League of Cities' Institute for Youth, Education, and Families. This PDF must be downloaded from the organization's website.

"Improving Access to Health Foods: A Guide for Policy Makers," from the Active Living Leadership, an initiative to support government leaders in promoting good health. Supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Connecticut Recreation and Parks Association

Active Living Leadership - An initiative to support government leaders in promoting good health. Supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

We Can! - A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services program that gives parents and caregivers practical tools for helping children stay at a healthy weight.

"Lessons Learned: Promoting Physical Activity at the Community Level," a 38-page report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This PDF must be downloaded from the organization's website.

This page was last updated: October 14, 2009

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