Dr. Deana Hildebrand, Dr. Jill Joyce and Lacey Wallace of Oklahoma State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences received $780,000 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the first year in the five-year High Obesity Program (HOP) to address nutrition and health challenges in eastern Oklahoma.

HOP funds universities working with local cooperative extensions in mostly rural counties where 40% or more of adults have obesity. The OSU team will work to address health disparities related to poor nutrition, physical activity and obesity.

“CDC is excited to announce this new HOP funding to land-grant universities in communities with high rates of obesity,” said Dr. Terry O’Toole, program development and evaluation branch chief in CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity. “This funding supports local programs to improve access to fresh, healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity with the goal of reducing chronic diseases.”

HOP works to implement proven public health strategies for:

• Food and nutrition security — promoting food service and nutrition guidelines, expanding fruit and vegetable voucher incentive and produce prescription programs

• Safe and accessible physical activity — connecting transportation networks to everyday destinations

• Early care and education (ECE) settings — improving nutrition and physical activity Hildebrand said Oklahoma is unique in that strong partnerships exist between the OSU Cooperative Extension, the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Healthy Living Program and Cherokee Tribal Nation.

“There is mutual and proven capacity in using policy, systems and environmental (PSE) approaches to decrease obesity and health disparities,” Hildebrand said. “Collaborative efforts have been successful in improving nutrition standards, establishing food systems and increasing miles of activity-friendly routes and places for safe physical activity. We look forward to continuing these partnerships and the positive impacts we can make together during the next five years.”

The new award from CDC HOP builds on success from 2018-2023 in Adair and Muskogee counties. The OSU team worked with Cooperative Extension and state and community partners to implement public health strategies, including significant increases in healthy food distribution capacities for local food pantries, revitalization plans for local parks, safer walking and biking routes to local schools and more.

HOP’s collaborative work was recognized by 15 state, regional and national awards and featured in several CDC showcases.