The United States has an extremely high and still growing obesity rate of 35.7%. The state of North Carolina also faces a similar problem and has identified a need to address its adult obesity rate of 27.8%. Eat Smart, Move More NC (ESMMNC) is a state organization spearheading creative solutions to this problem. In response to a request by the ESMMNC Policy Committee, this public service project involved an online survey and phone interviews with representatives of local coalitions in North Carolina to find out about their healthy nutrition and physical activity-related policies. The project reveals that there is a large scope of policy work at the local level in North Carolina. The data shows specific areas of focus and also policy areas in which fewer coalitions are working. Based on the results, this student recommends that Eat Smart, Move More NC support local coalitions by providing more example policies/policy making materials, facilitating connectivity among coalition representatives, and working to fill the voids left by previously disbanded coalitions and organizations. Through this project, I have learned how important state and local partnerships and communication are for health promotion policy work. It was clear to me that similar struggles and successes are common among many local coalitions, and their work may be enhanced through a strengthened coalition network and state-level support.
