Children in Alameda County are slightly more likely to be overweight or obese than children in other counties. However, there are specific populations of children more likely to be obese than others. Children participating in the Healthy Fitness Zone assessment in Hayward (46%) and Oakland (43%) Unified School Districts were more likely to be overweight or obese than their counterparts in other school districts. Overall, only 45% of Latino, 41% of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders and 46% of American Indian 5th graders in Alameda County were of a healthy weight in 2012-13.

Alameda County Community Food Bank

Alameda Alliance

Kaiser Community Benefits Program

Highland Hospital

Alameda County First 5

UC Berkeley Center for Weight & Health

Alameda County Probation

Alameda County Social Services, WIC

YMCA

Alameda County Social Services- Children Family Services

Alameda County Public Health Department- Nutrition Svcs.

Oakland Unified School District

Alameda County Health Care Services Agency

HCPHD/CHDP

Alameda County Clinic Consortium

Children's Hospital of Oakland

The Childhood Obesity Work Group determined four different areas where the County could make a difference in maintaining or increasing the rate of children of a healthy weight. These areas are based on national best practices:

• Coordination:There are many community based organizations, private funders, County, City and School district staff committed to addressing the critical issue of childhood obesity. The ICPC Workgroup participants have worked together over many years but felt there needed to be a County commitment to help them sustain their efforts. This could be achieved by collapsing current committees and work into one coordinating council or partnership. This effort would be responsible for further developing strategies that address childhood obesity and could be the backbone organization for the below strategies.
• Public Awareness Campaign: The Work Group felt they should provide the facts about issues related to obesity to certain target populations in new and more effective ways. Ideas included a "truth campaign" directed toward supporting new mothers when breastfeeding and finding ways to get the real facts about what's in junk food and soda to teens. They do not want to duplicate efforts but instead dovetail with current campaigns. In addition, the Work Group felt parents and caregivers also heard conflicting or competing messages related to nutrition and physical activity for children. This group wants to commit to one message to send in a united way.
• Model Programs: The Work Group recognizes there are many model programs currently in Alameda County that show potential in preventing obesity and intervening when a child is overweight or obese. However, many of these programs suffer from lack of funding to truly go to scale or lack sustainable funding sources. The types of model programs being explored are:
  • School Health Center Models
  • Training of Child Care Providers on healthy eating and exercise
  • Family Oriented Prevention & Interventions
• Initiating and Advocating for Policies Effecting Childhood Obesity Rates: Last June, the Alameda County Public Health Department and ChangeLab Solutions released a report commissioned by the Alameda County Board of Supervisor Wilma Chan and the Health Commission on the Impacts of Obesity in Alameda County. The Work Group determined they should help implement some of the suggested policy changes related to children in the report with priority given to those at a school district level. In addition to County policies changes, the Work Group would like to work together to influence State and Federal policies related to access to SNAP and WIC (eg. Double Bucks program) to improve access to healthy food.

The first step to implementing the above will be a commitment by Alameda County to sustain a Childhood Obesity coordinating council or partnership. This will enable the group to expand and come to consensus on the details of the Public Awareness Campaign, Model Programs and Policy strategies.