STRATEGIC ALLIANCE NEWSLETTER

July 2004

Think Globally, Act Locally: The Importance of Local Policy
One strategy to improve eating and activity environments in CA is to participate in policy creation at the local level. Although people often think of public policy only in terms of broad state and national-level initiatives, many important policies are initiated locally. Local policy generally refers to action at the city or county level or by special districts such as school or transportation districts. Some of the reasons local policy offers an advantageous "starting point" for putting nutrition and physical activity promotion strategies into practice includes: the greater accessibility of policy-makers at the local level; smaller, more manageable government bureaucracies; responsiveness of decision-makers to community concerns; and initiating policies that can act as a laboratory for broader-level change.

Think Globally, Act Locally: The Importance of Local Policy, Continued
Focusing on local policy change also serves as a powerful tool for strategically altering those community-level conditions with the potential to impact eating and activity. Local policies at the city or county level also have the potential to bubble over and initiate change in neighboring communities. In addition, local policy -- such as the early no-smoking laws -- often receive broad statewide and national attention and have an impact that extends far beyond the locality in which they were conceived. Even if proposed policies are not initially enacted, the public discussion helps raise consciousness about key concerns which builds the movement for change. By changing the external forces, such as media, the built environment, and social norms which shape lifestyle choices, policy can play a key role in the formulation of a comprehensive approach to nutrition and activity promotion.