More than 40 community leaders from across the nation convened in Washington, D.C. on June 5-6 to develop strategies on how to prevent obesity among African-American children. Hosted by Leadership for Healthy Communities and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the meeting has spurred the development of a strategies toolkit designed to help reverse childhood obesity rates among African Americans

The meeting highlighted the critical role of policy and policy-makers in promoting physical activity and healthy eating. Participants developed an outline of policy approaches for national, state, county and local leaders. Participants included elected and appointed government officials, educators and leaders from organizations such as the National Alliance of Black School Educators, U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Black Caucus of State Legislators, the National Medical Association, Kaiser Permanente, the National Urban League and many others.

Minorities have disproportionately higher obesity rates than white Americans—and the trend is most alarming for African-American girls. For example, among girls ages 12 to 19, almost 28 percent of African Americans are obese compared to 14.5 percent of whites. In addition, “community and school environments in which many minorities live and learn lack access to affordable healthy foods and safe active living options,” said Dr. Maya Rockeymoore, director of Leadership for Healthy Communities.

Participants discussed popular policy and program options such as public-private partnerships, tax incentives, and increased physical education in schools as a way to encourage healthy living in underserved communities. Other options identified during the brainstorming session included developing an “honor roll” of African-American policy-makers who are making a difference in childhood obesity prevention; creating a story bank; hosting sessions and conferences focused on childhood obesity among African-Americans; disseminating talking points to African-American leaders; and partnering with African-American health and social organizations. Some suggested developing a media-marketing campaign geared toward African-American youth and cultivating a group of messengers, including the hip hop community; developing scorecards for minority neighborhoods; and educating pediatricians on childhood obesity in the African-American community. 
 
Speakers included former U.S. Rep J.C. Watts, Jr. (R-Oklahoma); Elsie Scott, president of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc.; U.S. Del. Donna M. Christensen (D-Virgin Islands); Dwayne Proctor, senior program officer and childhood obesity team leader of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Vikki C. Lassiter, director of the African-American Collaborative Obesity Research Network Center for Public Health, University of Pennsylvania; and Victor Rubin, vice president for research of PolicyLink.

A volunteer subcommittee of African-American leaders is developing a first draft of the strategies document, which will then be vetted with the entire group.

The outcome of the group's deliberations will be released to the public and shared with policy-makers and community leaders.