HEAC (Healthy Eating Active Communities)

HEAC communities have transformed the environments for health

At six sites across California, HEAC (Healthy Eating Active Communities) created healthier communities for children and families. Partnership for the Public's Health facilitated and supported their efforts, as the coordinating office for HEAC.

Through local collaborations, HEAC (Healthy Eating, Active Communities) sites improved access to healthy food and physical activity in low-income communities to reduce childhood obesity, in six HEAC communities across California.

The HEAC model was designed to prevent childhood obesity through collaborative action that changes the local environment to make healthy living possible. It is now well established that children cannot develop healthy habits if their environments don’t offer healthy foods and safe places to play and be active. By working in schools, neighborhoods, healthcare settings, after school programs and with local businesses, HEAC coalitions showed that it is possible to make significant improvements, community-wide, in the food and physical activity environments children inhabit.

Learn more about what HEAC community collaboratives accomplished, at the Community Success Gallery:

HEAC Photos (access the entire HEAC Photobank here)
HEAC Videos
HEAC Stories

Funded by The California Endowment with support from Kaiser Permanente, Community Benefit Program, HEAC operated from 2004-2010.