What does the Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity do?

The primary goal of the Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity is to ensure that trends in obesity in Illinois are stable by 2015 and moving downward by 2018. Through public education and direct-action organizing, the Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity seeks to:

• Propose new and bold solutions to the obesity epidemic through coordinated and comprehensive policy, systems, and environmental changes.
   
• Build a visible statewide movement to reduce obesity.
   
• Raise obesity reduction and prevention to the top of the policy and public health agendas.
   
• Disseminate and promote best practices and current information.
   

What are policy, systems, and environmental changes?

For years, health advocates have been telling people to eat less and exercise more, but this overly simplistic message is not working. In fact, obesity rates are at an all-time high. Clearly, a different approach is needed.

Policy, systems, and environmental change is an effective way of modifying the environment to make healthy choices practical and available to all Illinois citizens. IAPO supporters believe that where we live and the world around us affects how we live. Illinois citizens cannot make healthy choices if healthy options are not available. Therefore, obesity must be treated as a public health crisis, not merely as a problem of individual will-power.

Our proposed solutions to the obesity epidemic focus on coordinated policy, systems, and environmental changes. This is a profound and new way of thinking about how to effectively improve health in a community. By changing laws and shaping physical landscapes, a big impact can be made with little time and resources. By changing policies, systems and/or environments, communities can help tackle health issues like obesity, diabetes, cancer, other chronic diseases and the escalating costs of health care.
 

How was the Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity created?

In January 2010, a diverse group of organizations and concerned citizens came together to launch the Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity.

In February 2010 and March 2010, more than 300 people from groups and communities across the state attended community forums and offered testimony about the obesity epidemic in Illinois and how it threatens to overwhelm our healthcare system, cause huge increases in debilitating chronic disease and undermine our economy. Stakeholders from across the state also offered policy and environmental solutions from various sectors including, but not limited to, nutrition, physical activity, school environments, workplaces, health care settings, planning, transportation, agriculture and community organizations.

The consensus reached during these forums was the basis for the State Obesity Action Roadmap, as well as IAPO’s 1-Year Policy Goals and 3-Year Goals.

To learn more FACTS on Obesity in Illinois click here