Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) is a locally driven initiative supporting 50 communities to tackle obesity and tobacco use—two leading preventable causes of death and disability in the United States. More than 50 million people—or one in six Americans—live in a city, town, county, or tribal community that benefits from this initiative. The Appalachian District was one of two communities in North Carolina to be funded and one of fifty communities in the nation.
“We, in Appalachian District, simply cannot accept that our children may now face a shorter life expectancy than their parents due to the burden of chronic disease in our counties, state, and nation… public health approaches are essential for reducing our chronic–disease burden and giving our children and communities the environments that will provide greater opportunities to make healthy decisions.”
Community Overview
The Appalachian District of North Carolina is tackling obesity. The Appalachian District includes three rural counties in the mountainous northwest part of the state—Alleghany, Ashe, and Watauga—with a total population of 82,255. Approximately 64% of Appalachian District residents are overweight or obese and only 24.1% of adults in North Carolina’s western counties, which include Alleghany, Ashe, and Watauga, consume the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Further, the state of North Carolina was recently ranked 14th in the nation for adult obesity as well as 14th in the nation for overweight or obese children. Contributing to this problem is limited access to fresh, healthy food and physical inactivity. For example, it takes residents of the small, low-income communities of Bethel, Mabel, Ennice, Whitehead, and Lansing a minimum of 45 minutes to drive to a grocery store. Additionally, only 46.4% of the state’s adults get the recommended amounts of physical activity.
Community Vision
Community changes will help build a healthier Appalachian District and create a more satisfying place to live, work, and play. Local North Carolina-grown fruits and vegetables will be more available, especially to rural communities and low-income residents through new farmers’ markets. Teenagers picking up a quick afterschool snack will find healthy items at the convenience store. Children will participate in child-care programs with more physical activity. Mothers will be encouraged and provided the support necessary to breast-feed. Residents will take advantage of new shared-use agreements to exercise at facilities throughout the community. Community members from all three Appalachian Counties will unite in the effort to lower the rate of obesity.
Community Action
If healthy options are not available, then healthy decisions are not possible. From promoting new trails and paths to encourage active transportation to offering healthier foods and beverages in schools and communities, the availability of healthier choices can change behaviors and help reduce chronic diseases. The Appalachian District is taking action to:
- Establish and support Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Electronic Benefits Transfer card access at the Ashe County Farmers’ Market and establish a farmers’ market in Alleghany County to increase access to fresh produce among low-income residents.
- Establish joint-use garden sites at schools to increase access to healthy foods and support local farm production.
- Implement farm-to-institution programs for organizations to purchase local produce and increase access to healthy foods.
- Implement joint-use agreements throughout the community to increase resident access to facilities for physical activity.
- Further promote North Carolina’s Eat Smart, Move More campaign that encourages mothers to make healthy eating and physical activity a part of their lifestyle.
- Encourage afterschool and child-care programs to increase physical-activity requirements to a minimum of 30−60 minutes per day.
Leadership Team
The leadership team includes high-level community leaders from multiple sectors who have the resources and capacity, when combined, to make healthy choices easier. The members of Appalachian District’s leadership team are key agents for change in their community. The leadership team includes representatives from the following organizations:
- Alleghany County Schools
- Appalachian District Board of Health
- Appalachian District Health Department
- Appalachian Regional Healthcare System
- Ashe County Board of Education
- Ashe County Cooperative Extension: 4-H
- Ashe Memorial Hospital
- Be-Active Appalachian Partnership
- Children’s Council of Watauga, Inc.
- Town of Sparta
- Watauga County Cooperative Extension
- Watauga County Schools
- Watauga County Parks and Recreation
- Watauga Youth Network
For more information on this program, please contact the Health Promotions office at (828) 264-4995.