The campaign urges local government leaders to embrace five strategies and seven guiding principles.

Five Strategies

1. Plan Collaboratively for Healthy Kids/Healthy Communities

Work cross jurisdictionally. Expand the responsibilities and membership of an existing collaborative or form a local council to address children’s health and childhood obesity. Councils should report jointly to county supervisors, city councils and school boards. Identify opportunities for co-development and shared use of recreational facilities and programs. Identify the role of local government and other community leaders in modeling healthy active living.

2. Plan for Walking, Biking, and Access to Open Spaces

Commit to improving the environment to promote increased walkability.

 Include an active living component in general plans. Survey residents on walkability and safety. Create pedestrian and biking master plans with links to public transportation. Develop parks and open space in areas of dense development.

 Negotiate active living infrastructure in development requirements. Require new multi-story construction to have open, well-lit, visible stairways. Utilize mixed-use development to provide multiple destinations within walking distance. Locate schools near residential neighborhoods. Require sidewalks and bicycle trails. Use Safe Routes to Schools, to plan, fund and build safe walking and biking infrastructure.

3. Ensure Access to Healthy Food near Homes and Schools

 Establish zoning guidelines and incentive grants to improve access to nutritional food and reduce access to unhealthy food. Regulate the number of fast food outlets, especially near schools.

 Establish policies for nutritional quality of foods offered by city, county and school programs. Re-assess vending machine contracts; ban vending machines sales of junk food. Require sports leagues and other organizations using city/county parks or facilities to offer healthy food choices for events.

 Promote Healthy Food Programs. Expand the number of community gardens and farmers’ markets. Teach the preparation of traditional ethnic foods in healthy ways. Encourage local restaurants to provide “Healthy Choice" options on children’s menus.

 Partner with media to change messages and marketing regarding appropriate food for children.

4. Offer Programs and Facilities for Physical Activity

 Coordinate physical education and recreational activities between park and recreation departments and school and after-school programs.

 Evaluate local parks and open spaces for ways to increase the level of vigorous physical activity for children and their parents.

 Provide for indoor physical activity within communities and schools.

 Preserve and increase physical activity time, as opposed to waiting time, within physical education classes.

 Preserve recess at elementary schools and create alternatives for homework completion or other important activities that take children away from active recess.

 Offer walking and bicycling programs: coordinate "walking school-busses " to and from school, walking groups, senior walking clubs, walkathons with incentives, health fairs, multigenerational events, bicycle safety events.

 Promote campaigns such as “Turn Off the Screen Week" and “Walk to School Week."

 Encourage participation in the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Awards and the Governor’s Challenge to Teens.

5. Educate the Public

Educate the public on the obesity epidemic, potential consequences and solutions using multiple approaches including: partnering with the doctors and teachers; public access television; community events such as "Healthy Living Month" with activities and health education.

As local officials begin to address the issue of community wellness through local policies, the CCS Partnership recommends applying the following principles as guides:

1. This is a public problem, not just the personal concern of those who are overweight. The fiscal impacts on our health system and community vitality loom large.
2. Don’t blame the victim: the issue is beyond mere individual or family responsibility.
3. Address the environmental aspects of the issue. Regulate land use to encourage active living and ready access to healthy food choices.
4. Work collaboratively to maximize the impact. Encourage formation of local partnerships between cities, counties, and schools. Share planning and program development. Engage parents, children, and community members in the dialogue.
5. Make information, knowledge and solutions accessible and appropriate for all ethnicities, cultures, and economic levels.
6. Act on the belief that every child has the right to walk and bike in their home community. Both suburban and urban children have the right to walk to school.
7. Active and healthy living can become the norm for all California communities.