Our environments determine our health.
People thrive when they earn living wages and live in communities with parks and playgrounds, grocery stores selling nutritious food, and neighbors who know one another. Without a healthy environment, people are more likely to suffer from obesity or one of the many chronic diseases plaguing the United States: diabetes, asthma, and heart disease.

Preventing disease and creating healthy neighborhoods requires change. Food environments - how food is grown, processed, distributed, and sold - and physical environments - how neighborhoods are built to the transportation systems that serve them - are crucial to creating this change. There is widespread recognition that physical and food environments are inextricably linked, and that - together - they can foster or inhibit our ability to eat well and thrive.

Advocates from various fields are beginning to see how their work can enhance progress in other fields, and how their efforts can foster policy and environmental changes that help families and children lead healthier lives.

The Healthy Eating Active Living Convergence Partnership also recognizes that to improve food and activity environments, existing disparities must be addressed. Therefore, the Partnership aims to strengthen and accelerate collaborative efforts among practitioners, policymakers, funders, and advocates to support healthy eating and active living.

The Convergence Partnership will send out periodic updates on new publications and program developments. Fill out our E-Newsletter Sign-up form to receive these updates or to submit questions about the Partnership.
 

 

Convergence Partnership Provide Comments to Senate Committee on Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010
In a letter to the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, the Convergence Partnership stressed the need for the child nutrition reauthorization legislation –the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010—and the importance of key provisions in creating environments that support healthy eating and active living for all children.

With the country’s largest health foundations and nonprofit health systems as members, the Convergence Partnership stressed its concerns about childhood obesity and its strong support for efforts to reverse the trend and improve the health of all children. The Partnership believes that the Act provides a critical opportunity to improve child nutrition, promote healthy child development, reduce hunger and food insecurity, and enhance academic performance.

In the letter, the Partnership outlines key provisions it supports in moving forward and urges the Senate to pass the Act quickly. Given the obesity crisis, current economic downturn, and increasing food insecurity, the Partnership believes it is imperative to pass this legislation this year. Read the letter here, CP Comments to HHFK Act.

Convergence Partnership Release Recommendations for Prevention and Public Health Fund
In a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius on May 28, the Convergence Partnership provided recommendations for the use of the Prevention and Public Health Fund (Fund) in the health care reform package.

During the week of June 14, Secretary Sebelius announced the investments for the $500 million Fund, created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Fund is intended to build the necessary public health infrastructure “to prevent disease, detect it early, and manage conditions before they become severe”.   [Note: Since this is a quote, please refer to source: www.healthreform.gov/forums/blog/aca_prevention.html].The allocation of the first half of the Fund will go towards strengthening the health care workforce and increasing the number of health care providers, particularly in underserved areas of the country. The second $250 million investment will support prevention activities.

To read the letter click here.

To view the recommendations Prevention Institute and Policylink made to Secretary Sebelius in early May, click here

Recipes for Change: Healthy Food in Every Community
This brief developed by Prevention Institute, in collaboration with PolicyLink and commissioned by the Convergence Partnership, outlines organizational practices and public policies to expand access to healthy foods in support of healthy eating and better community health.  Based on interviews with practitioners and advocates working in various aspects of the food system, and augmented by scans of major policy and research reports, this paper aims to spur action to make healthy foods widely available, particularly in low-income communities and communities of color, and to build a healthier food system in the United States. It is part of a larger effort to identify high-impact approaches that will move us closer to our vision of healthy people in healthy places. Four areas are highlighted: the retail food environment, including grocery stores, restaurants, small stores, and farmers' markets; institutional environments such as schools, work sites, healthcare facilities, and local governments; federal nutrition assistance programs; and regional food systems. Click here to view.

The Healthy People Healthy Places Webinar Series
This webinar series offers examples, information, tools, and connections for those creating healthy places through multi-field, equity focused environmental policy change.
Click here to view recordings of past webinars or download slides from past webinars.  
Register for Future Sessions Here! 

Healthy People Healthy Places eNewsletter 
Fill out our E-Newsletter Sign-up form to receive updates. See past newsletters below:


Recent Updates

Healthy, Equitable Transportation Policy: Recommendations and Research

The Transportation Prescription: Bold New Ideas for Transportation Reform in America

Recommendations for the Prevention and Wellness Funds, A Memo Prepared by PolicyLink and Prevention Institute for President Obama’s Administration