Children and Weight: What Communities Can Do The Spectrum of Prevention: A Tool for Developing Strategies

Levels of the Spectrum of Prevention Strengthen individual knowledge and skills Promote community education Educate providers Foster coalitions and networks Change organizational practices Influence policy and legislation Children and Weight: What Communities Can Do

To decrease soft drink consumption during the school day and at school-sponsored events Sample specific goal:

Strategies: Teach students about health consequences associated with soft drink consumption such as cavities, weak bones, and overweight. Teach students media literacy to understand how advertising influences behavior. Spectrum Level 1: Strengthen individual knowledge and skills (to decrease soft drink consumption) Children and Weight: What Communities Can Do

Strategy: Publish articles on healthy beverage choices in school newspapers, PTA newsletters, local newspapers and other community publications. Spectrum Level 2: Promote community education (to decrease soft drink consumption) Children and Weight: What Communities Can Do

Spectrum Level 3: Educate providers (to decrease soft drink consumption) Strategies: Offer water, milk and fruit juice (instead of soft drinks) at meetings, parties, and other school-sponsored events. Encourage adults to be role models by drinking water, milk and fruit juice (instead of soft drinks) and encouraging children and teens to do the same. Children and Weight: What Communities Can Do

Strategy: Convene coalition on children and weight. Spectrum Level 4: Fostering coalitions and networks (to decrease soft drink consumption) Children and Weight: What Communities Can Do

Strategies: Limit access to vending machines by only turning them on after school hours. Add healthy alternatives such as milk, bottled water and juice to vending machines. Spectrum Level 5: Change organizational practices (to decrease soft drink consumption) Children and Weight: What Communities Can Do

Strategies: Encourage school districts to reject soft drink contracts. Advocate for statewide policy to ban soft drink contracts in schools. Spectrum Level 6: Influence policy and legislation (to decrease soft drink consumption) Children and Weight: What Communities Can Do NO SOFT DRINK CONTRACTS

Where do you start? With your priorities... based on what you think is important and the resources you have Children and Weight: What Communities Can Do ?