Change the Future WV

West Virginia received one of 50 grants awarded nationwide to reduce obesity and obesity-related chronic disease by implementing policy, systems, and environmental change interventions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded funds to target obesity prevention in a six-county region of the Mid-Ohio Valley (MOV) through the Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) initiative. Adult residents of West Virginia have the highest combined rate of overweight and obesity in the country at 67.9% and the adult obesity rates of the six counties in the Mid-Ohio Valley (Calhoun, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Wirt, and Wood) range from 31% to 34%. Improving nutrition/dietary behaviors and increasing physical activity are two goals of the Change the Future WV program.

Change The Future WV emphasizes improving access to healthy food options and safe environments for physical activity to create healthier communities in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

Change The Future WV has launched multiple community and school-based interventions to improve dietary behaviors and physical fitness in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

Several community and school-based interventions have taken place to improve dietary behavior and increase the percentage of youth and adults meeting dietary guidelines for fruit and vegetable consumption. Changing the Future WV recruited 32 elementary schools to participate in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program, which provided fresh fruit and vegetable snacks during regular school hours. This program lead to an increase in access to healthy foods and introduced youth to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Officials have also launched the public awareness initiative, Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice, which encourages residents to adopt healthy behaviors. Through print, television, radio, as well as outdoor advertising including billboards, this effort has reached more than 133,000 people. Additionally, participating grocery stores (including local area Walmarts) agreed to convert at least one checkout aisle to a healthy checkout where healthy foods and physical activity toys replaced unhealthy items. Furthermore, Change the Future WV farmer's market efforts sought to increase the number of markets, hours open per week, and number of vendors accepting Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT)/debit cards.

Several school and community-based interventions have been set forth to increase physical activity by passing policy and improving the environments in which Mid-Ohio Valley (MOV) residents live, work and play. Change the Future WV placed 14 physical education teachers and one education coordinator in middle and high schools, and officials have noted that the average number of students per school who participate in daily physical education increased by approximately 23%. Furthermore, the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Health Department worked with the West Virginia Parks and Recreation Department and others to develop a master plan with a strong emphasis on improving existing trails. Community coalitions and youth organizations were also engaged to ensure low-income residents were involved throughout the planning process. By May 2012, the master plan was adopted by five of the six counties in MOV and trails are being developed for better public access.