Key points
- CDC funds 16 land grant universities to carry out the High Obesity Program (HOP).
- The current 5-year program (CDC-RFA-DP-23-0013) runs from 2023 to 2028.
- HOP supports policy, systems, and environmental changes to address health disparities related to nutrition, physical activity, and obesity.
- HOP celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2024.
Background
Celebrating 10 years
HOP helps to reduce health disparities in mostly rural counties with adult obesity rates greater than 40%. The effort focuses on increasing access to healthy foods, designing safe and convenient places for physical activity, and reducing obesity.
CDC’s HOP is a 5-year cooperative agreement to fund 16 land-grant universities to work with community extension services. HOP works in primarily rural areas where 40% or more of adults have obesity. Approximately 1 in 5 U.S. children and adolescents have obesity and more than 2 in 5 U.S. adults have obesity. Obesity costs the US healthcare system almost $173 billion a year.
The program's goal is to improve access to healthier foods and safe places for physical activity. The universities work with state investments and resources. Partners represent many professions, such as agriculture, transportation, education, health care, parks and recreation, business, housing, and defense and military.
The universities work with community extension services on evidence-based strategies for:
- Food and nutrition security through food service and nutrition guidelines and fruit and vegetable vouchers and produce prescriptions.
- Increasing physical activity through community design.
- Family healthy weight programs.
- Early care and education settings.
The universities work with community extension services on evidence-based strategies for: