Tools to Prevent Overweight and Obesity

Tools From the Federal Government

President’s Council on Physical Fitness:  10 ideas to get physically fit

Administration for Children and Families, Fit Source: A Web Directory for Providers.  Provides links to tools for child care providers to integrate healthy nutrition and physical activity into programs.  Can search by topic and age group.

US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

• Food Pyramid Tool.  Allows reader to develop food plan based on individual needs and characteristics.
• Adult Energy Needs and BMI Calculator in conjunction with ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor Medical Center. Takes reader through steps to determine calorie intake needs.

US Department of Health and Human Services

• HealthierUS Small Steps Activity Tracker.  Design your own activity guide
• USDHHS and NIH: We Can! ("Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition") Resource for parents and caregivers to support healthy weight in children.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Body and Mind (BAM) interactive web site for adolescents with updated information on food and nutrition, physical fitness, safety, diseases and other issues to assist adolescents to make healthy choices and develop lifelong habits for good health.

• VERB, Youth Media Campaign: Has materials to promote physical fitness in children and adolescents. See
• Materials for Adults
• Materials for Tweens
• Measuring Physical Activity.  Site provides information and links to additional tools related to intensity of physical activity (heart rate, perceived exertion, examples of physical activities and intensity).

• US DHHS and USDA: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. Published every five years.

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

• Aim for a Healthy Weight: Information for Patients and the Public provides recommendations, assessment tools, strategies for controlling weight, and links to publications.
• The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Eating Plan Hypertension is related to, risk factor for and consequence of overweight and obesity. Not designed to be a weight-loss plan.

Tools from States

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, School Site Resource Tool Kit, Implementation Guide for the Colorado Physical Activity and Nutrition State Plan 2010.  Tool to assist school personnel to implement strategies to promote healthy nutrition and physical activity in schools.

Connecticut Department of Public Health, Obesity Program (Health Education, Management and Surveillance Section).  Healthy Eating Active Living Resource Tool Kit. Provides resources for assessment, strategy development and implementation and evaluation.  Geared for community action.

Minnesota Overweight and Obesity Prevention Program: Obesity Strategies and Materials.  Site allows reader to search by age group and target audience.

New Hampshire KidPower! Walk and Wheel Safety

• Daily Physical Activity Log
• Follow-up Ideas for Schools to Maintain Physical Activity
• Pedometer Step Log.  Activity log sheet using pedometer.
• Walkable Routes to School Survey tool for schools to determine how accessible is for walking.

New York Department of Health

• Preventing Childhood Obesity: Tips for Child Care Providers (includes nutritional information and recipes)
• Preventing Childhood Obesity: Tips for Parents (includes nutritional information)

Oregon Department of Public Health, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Prevention Tool Kit

West Virginia Department of Health, Physical Activity Tools and Resources

Tools From Associations, Non-Profit Organizations or Academia

American Public Health Association: Tools for Action Against Overweight and Obesity. Includes numerous action items and resources.

California Center for Health Improvement, Health Policy Guide: Evidence-based policies to improve Health (Topic Index): relevant topics for overweight and obesity include the following (there are also other related topics):

• Addressing Childhood Obesity: Nutrition Education and Policies in Schools
• Childhood Obesity: Using School Programs to Encourage Physical Activity Among Youth
• Healthy Eating Options
• School Breakfast Program
• Promoting Lifelong Activity
• Fitness Promotion

Per Serving Take Action: Per Serving is a national coalition of health, nutrition, consumer organizations dedicated to getting food writers, newspapers and other in print media to analyze recipes and provide accurate nutritional information for consumers. Site provides a checklist of activities to get involved in your community

Shape Up America Non-profit organization founded by Dr. C Everett Koop to raise awareness of obesity as health issue.  Extensive information and tools.

• Parent’s Guide to Assessment and Treatment of Overweight Children (pdf document, 2002).
• Childhood Obesity Assessment Calculator.  Walks reader through steps to assess BMI for people ages 2-20.
• E-Guidance for Treatment of Adult Obesity.  On-line assessment tool for providers to assess adult patients, develop an implement strategy for addressing obesity and overweight.
• Fitness Center provides tools to promote physical activity.
• Shape up and Drop 10 weight loss management tool.
• Cyberkitchen walks reader through process to identifying weight management and nutrition goals and provide menus for achieving goals.
• Body Fat Lab provides information on importance of body fat, calculators and more.

University of San Francisco Medical Center. Just for Kids! Obesity Prevention. Site provides health education programs and information tool kits.

America on the Move: a national non-profit organization devoted to improving health and quality of life by promoting healthy eating and active lifestyle.  See also state chapters, for example, Florida on the Move.

Other Resources

New Zealand Tool Kit to Reduce the Rate of Obesity (available only online)

actforhealth@yahoo.com

Site developed by ORC Macro
Page last updated: 10/02/2006

ACT for Health, Adolescent and Child Targets for Health Foundation, Inc., is an educational and charitable non-profit, non-governmental organization, tax-exempt under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.