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 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 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 The Healthy People Healthy Places Webinar Series Healthy People Healthy Places eNewsletter Recent Updates The Transportation Prescription: Bold New Ideas for Transportation Reform in America |