FNEC developed the Building Healthy Habits (BHH) initiative in response to the growing recognition that tackling obesity requires going beyond individual knowledge and behavior change to make the places people live, work and play more supportive. People are more likely to make healthy choices when they have access to convenient, affordable, nutritious foods and safe, fun ways to be active.
Through BHH, Cornell Cooperative Extension educators are collaborating with community members, agencies, and coalitions to support access to healthy food and active play options in communities in New York State, for example:
- Building a diverse coalition of agencies – including social service providers, healthcare providers, municipalities and educational institutions – to work together on childhood obesity prevention efforts;
- Providing training for agency staff who serve children, including day care and Head Start staff, to encourage offering healthy snacks, reducing TV time, increasing active play, and modeling healthy behaviors;
- Participating on task forces to improve community environments, such as increasing access to bike lanes and low-cost fruit and vegetable carts in low-income communities;
- Leading support groups for parents who want to continue to learn and support one another after participating in the Healthy Children, Healthy Families workshops; and “Adopting a bodega” to encourage and support a corner store owner in stocking healthy choices and displaying them attractively.
For More Information
- Visit BHH on Facebook
- Contact FNEC-admin@cornell.edu, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University