Abstract
Issue addressed Local governments are uniquely placed to influence the food environment of their communities through healthy eating policies (HEPs) but very few have done so. Methods Using a community-based participatory approach, Healthy Eating Local Policies and Programs built the capacity of South Australian local governments to develop and implement a HEP by leading the development of a HEP framework then mentoring local governments to develop their own local policy tailored to their community. Results Over a 2-year period, 31 of the 68 local governments worked towards developing a HEP, with 14 receiving endorsement by December 2013. Conclusions Local governments are ready to model healthy eating practices and adopt healthy eating policy that supports the health of their communities. A HEP developed using a participatory approach and with the flexibility to be tailored to local preferences and demographics appears feasible, although the process may be lengthy. This process and outcome appears applicable and transferable to other local governments. So what? As local governments take up their responsibilities in promoting health and wellbeing, HEPs provide important structural mechanisms to enable councils to facilitate healthy eating in their local communities.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.