About The Tennessee Plan
"Many of the health issues that face Tennesseans today are things that a prescription or a doctor's appointment or health insurance can't fix. The state has spent the past several years investing in prevention strategies like Get Fit Tennessee to raise awareness and address behaviors that lead to chronic disease, including physical inactivity, nutrition and tobacco use. This statewide Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan is a valuable resource that outlines a path leading to a healthier Tennessee."
- Governor of Tennessee
Phil Bredesen
This plan is closely associated with the Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is designed to help Tennessee achieve the following outcomes:
- Decrease prevalence of obesity
- Increase physical activity
- Improve dietary behaviors related to population burden of obesity and chronic diseases
The Eat Well, Play More Tennessee state plan focuses on several vulnerable target areas and populations:
| Healthy and affordable foods in food deserts and low-income areas |
| Breastfeeding initiation and duration which is clinically proven to reduce the risk of pediatric overweight |
| Sugar-sweetened beverages, which according to experts, is the single largest driver of the obesity epidemic |
| Built Environment (homes, school, workplaces, parks) and transportation facilities (roadways, greenways, sidewalks), if changed, enhances physical activity |
| Parks and Recreation |
| Screen time at the computer and watching TV is associated with the risk of being overweight by preschool children and linked to increased dietary intake |
| Early Childcare |
| Schools |
| Health Systems |
| Faith-based Settings |
| Work Sites |
| Aging Populations |
| Mental health and disabled populations |
| African American and Latino populations |
| Rural Communities |
Strategies are included to leverage resources and coordinate statewide efforts to achieve the following objectives:
- Increase fruit and vegetable consumption
- Increase physical activity
- Reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages
- Reduce consumption of high-energy-dense foods
- Increase breastfeeding initiation and duration
- Reduce screen (TV/Video) time.
In Tennessee, many individuals and organizations have participated in the development of plans, reports and recommendations that affect chronic diseases, nutrition, physical activity and obesity. Elements of these resources are being used to drive programs and support policy and environmental change, and have been integrated into Eat Well, Play More Tennessee. Examples of these include:
| Building Connections…2008 Tennessee Greenways and Trails Plan |
| Eat Smart, Move More, Tune In – A Healthy Weight Initiative for Tennessee’s Children and Youth |
| Get Fit Tennessee |
| Health Status Report, 2006, Office of Minority Health |
| State of Tennessee Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan, 2009-2012 |
| Tennessee State Health Plan, 2009 |
| Tennessee State Plan for Physical Activity & Fitness, 2006 |
| Tennessee State Recreation Plan, 2009 |
| Weighing the Costs of Obesity in Tennessee, 2006 |
Objectives and strategies contained in Eat Well, Play More Tennessee were developed by experts both within Tennessee and nationally through resources such as the proposed objectives for Healthy People 2020, the Centers for Disease Control’s Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States, the Institute of Medicine: Local Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity, Let’s Move and the 2010 United States National Physical Activity Plan.
Overview of the
Tennessee Plan
