Healthy Eating Active Living Initiative

California - Northern

The Obesity Epidemic

Over the past forty years, the number of overweight children in the United States has tripled, and over two-thirds of Americans are now overweight or obese.  With obesity comes associated health risks, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, arthritis-related disabilities, sleep disorders, some cancers, and depression and other mental health problems. 

The physical environment – where we live, work, attend school and play – is a significant factor in the alarming rise of obesity.  Access to safe environments for physical activity is often limited, while inexpensive fatty and sugary foods are readily available.  This is especially true in communities that face social inequities.

The HEAL Approach in California

Kaiser Permanente’s mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. 

Inspired by this mission, Kaiser Permanente developed the Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) initiative in California.  HEAL addresses the obesity epidemic with a multi-faceted, long-term approach that crosses the full spectrum of health promotion.  Key elements of the HEAL approach include:

• Healthcare Industry Leadership
• Community Investment
• Partnerships and Public Policy

Community health is the result of the best medicine, combined with education and vital public health activities that support an informed and empowered population in an environment that promotes health and well-being.  By linking evidence-based medical expertise with environmental transformation and community-based strategies, KP aims to halt the growth of the obesity epidemic, enable real transformation in communities, and generate lasting health improvement over time.

Healthcare Industry Leadership

As a health care leader, Kaiser Permanente believes that weight management is a critical part of medical office visits and follow-up health education support.  Equally important, Kaiser Permanente seeks to stand as a role model and “walk the talk,” by creating model health care settings and worksites that foster a supportive culture of healthy eating and physical fitness for members and employees.

• Evidence-Based Clinical Practice
  Clinic-based weight management interventions start with active training and support programs for physicians and other health care providers to screen and track Body Mass Index (BMI) over time, and to counsel patients using motivational and behavioral change techniques as part of all routine office visits.  Health care providers and “weight management champions” also meet as peers to share best practices, review data and guidelines, and to explore new program ideas.  A variety of health education messages and materials for children, teens, and adults are available and widely distributed, to inform and empower patients to make real changes when they leave the clinic.

• Weight Management Interventions
  A host of other resources are available for members to help them improve their nutrition and physical activity, such as individual counseling with a dietician, group weight management classes, and subsidized Weight Watchers™ memberships.  A wide array of online information is also available for members, including interactive tools to help them stay motivated on the journey to a healthy lifestyle.

• Modeling Healthy Lifestyles in Kaiser Permanente Medical Facilities and Worksites
  Healthy foods are available in vending machines in Kaiser Permanente offices and medical facilities, and work is underway to transform cafeteria and hospital food to emphasize the use of locally grown produce.   Many facilities host weekly farmers’ markets which support local growers and provide access to healthy foods to the wider community.  Numerous other employee and wellness programs provide practical tools, activities, and motivation for employees and members to eat healthy and be active.

Community Investment

Consistent with its organizational mission of fostering healthy communities, Kaiser Permanente’s HEAL initiative seeks to empower communities to transform their neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and health care settings so that healthy food is convenient and affordable, and physical activity is part of daily life.  Multiple approaches are underway throughout California, including grant investments to support environmental and policy changes and community education strategies.

• Healthy Eating Active Living-Community Health Initiative
  Kaiser Permanente Northern California Region is investing over $5.5 million in HEAL-CHI, a five-year, place-based initiative to transform neighborhoods, schools, workplaces and health care settings in Modesto, Richmond, and Santa Rosa.  Grantee efforts are focusing on long-term, sustainable policy and organizational practice changes within these sectors, and addressing nutrition and physical activity goals.  In addition to community-based funding, Kaiser Permanente provides evaluation and technical support to foster shared learning and sustainability of efforts that can be replicated in other communities.

• Local Partnership Grants Program
  The Local Partnership Grants Program provides funding for one year of activity to support local HEAL-related efforts throughout the Northern California Region.  Grantees are selected through a Request for Proposals process.  Current grant recipients are working to foster sustainable changes by implementing wellness policies in schools, building youth leadership capacity, and developing model policies and practices for business and government, among other innovative efforts.

• Healthy Eating, Active Communities Initiative
  Kaiser Permanente is pleased to be an active partner, providing funds and technical assistance for The California Endowment’s Healthy Eating, Active Communities (HEAC) initiative.  The six California communities of Baldwin Park, Chula Vista, Oakland, Santa Ana, South Shasta County, and South Los Angeles are working collaboratively across multiple sectors to reduce disparities in obesity and diabetes by improving food and physical activity environments for school-age children.  Kaiser Permanente's technical assistance for the HEAC initiative includes the development and delivery of training for physicians and other health care providers on tracking BMI as an indicator of health, prevention counseling techniques to encourage patients’ healthy weight, and the physician’s role in advocating for community changes that support healthy eating and active living.  Patient education materials, BMI wheels and exam room posters are shared with the community.

• HEAL Responsive Grants
  Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California Community Benefit Programs consider funding requests from local organizations in Kaiser Permanente service areas for projects that are aligned with the goals and strategies of the Healthy Eating, Active Living initiative.  Grants typically address long-term policy and environmental changes in schools, neighborhoods, health care settings, and workplaces, with an emphasis in supporting low-income and underserved communities.

• Educational Theatre Program
  Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre Program uses live theatre, music, comedy, and drama to inspire children, teens, and adults to make healthier choices and better decisions about their well-being.  “Play H.E.A.L.S.:  The Amazing Food Detective” and “Zip’s Great Day” enact the importance of eating nutritious foods and physical activity for elementary school audiences.  Each Educational Theatre Program’s performance is led by young professional actors/educators trained in health issues and youth counseling and also includes fun educational support materials to reinforce the learning. For more information about the Educational Theatre Program and a list of current productions, visit:  http://xnet.kp.org/etp/ 

• Community Trainings and Materials
  Kaiser Permanente is committed to sharing its expertise and resources with communities to increase local awareness of weight management.  Physician and staff presentations and trainings are available on topics such as BMI measurement, weight goals and treatment options, communications skills and key messages, and advocacy for community and school interventions to support weight management. Free tip sheets, BMI wheels, and other health education materials are available to California non-profit organizations using this order form.

Partnerships and Public Policy

Kaiser Permanente actively seeks and engages in partnerships that bring together like-minded organizations and programs to build a movement that maximizes the reach and effectiveness of the HEAL initiative in California.  Examples of current partnerships include:

• Training physicians as advocates for environmental and policy changes in their communities in partnership with the California Medical Association Foundation.

• Accelerating learning, knowledge transfer, and research through active involvement with organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institute of Medicine, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

• Supporting policy and advocacy training on a grassroots level with the statewide network of "promotoras" or community healthy workers, Vision y Compromiso.

• Advocating for key state legislation and participating in the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness and the Governor’s Summit on Health, Nutrition and Obesity.

Contact information
For more information about Kaiser Permanente’s HEAL initiative, contact:
Kathryn Boyle, kathryn.f.boyle@kp.org, 510-625-6378

Partnerships and Sharing Knowledge to Build a Movement

Working collaboratively with The California Endowment, Kaiser Permanente National Offices and Northern California Region provide funding and technical support for the Healthy Eating, Active Communities initiative, as well as share lessons and develop joint strategies with other organizations that provide funding at the state and national level. 

Kaiser Permanente Northern California Region has partnered with the California Medical Association to train physicians throughout the state to be advocates for environmental and policy changes in their communities.  Kaiser Permanente Northern California Region partners with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institute of Medicine, Indian Health Services, University of California at Berkeley and San Francisco, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Initiative of Child Healthcare Quality to accelerate learning, knowledge transfer, and research.  To support statewide policy change, Kaiser Permanente Northern California Region has been actively involved in supporting key legislation and has participated in the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness and the Governor’s Summit on Health, Nutrition and Obesity.