Asthma Coalitions and Obesity

The dramatic increase in overweight and obesity among children in the U.S. has stimulated serious attention to the problem across the country.  In October 2006, representatives from seven existing community-based coalitions came together to talk about how the knowledge, experience, and lessons they gained  through their coalition work could help their communities address the significant challenge being posed by the high rates of overweight and obesity.  Participants represented communities across the country that received funding from Allies Against Asthma (Allies), a National Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and have experience in strategic planning and action for program and policy change.  

Given the complexity of obesity and the necessity of engaging a broad range of individuals and organizations in finding solutions, participants agreed that a coalition approach could be an effective model.  General strengths of the coalition approach identified include innovative strategies that result from involving the range of stakeholders in solutions to the problem, the power afforded by widespread community engagement, and the development of new community capacities through effective use of available social capital.  

Coalition representatives discussed ways that existing coalitions can apply their acquired capacities such as assisting and mentoring leaders of a new coalition or incorporating obesity as an additional area of work.  Participants identified numerous extant critical resources their coalitions had developed such as ongoing relationships, trust and credibility in a community; organizational capacities; skills related to community mobilization; and experience regarding the available levers for policy and system change in the community.  

Particular challenges for a coalition rising to the task of working in obesity and overweight were also identified, including being at odds with large scale industry profit-makers, the complexity of the determinants of the conditions and the lack of evidence regarding prevention and management, and the strength of societal norms related to eating.  

While the challenges related to confronting overweight and obesity are significant and complex, participants strongly agreed that a coalition approach is promising, and the capacities built by successful coalitions can provide a significant head start in efforts to address complex health conditions.   

See the full report regarding the strengths of a coalition-based approach to obesity and other chronic diseases here.

Project-related Presentations:

Nelson, B.W. An Exploration of Community Coalitions as a Means to Address Overweight and Obesity. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Childhood Obesity Grantee Meeting, New Orleans, LA, November 2007 (poster session).