The "Story Behind the Curve" helps us understand why the data on Polk County adults who are obese is the way that it is in our community. When we understand the root causes of our community problems, we have a better chance of finding the right solutions, together.

What's Helping? These are the positive forces at work in our community and beyond that influence this issue in our community.

• Polk County FIT Challenge
• Availability of playgrounds and other recreation fields
• Healthy school lunches
• Church Meal Program
• Thermal Belt Backpack Program provides weekend meals to disadvantaged children 
• Access to two local Farmer's Markets
• Trail Map
• NC Cooperative Extension Cooking Classes

What's Hurting? These are the negative forces at work in our community and beyond that influence this issue in our community.

• " sometimes people just cannot afford to buy the food they need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The healthy foods are the most expensive."
• "Lack of teaching individuals how to plan healthier meals for their families"
•  People are limited in activities in some way due to physical, mental, or emotional problems
•  Food insecurity 
•  Low percent of the community consume five or more servings of fruits/vegetables per day.

Partners in our Community Health Improvement Process: 

• Polk County Wellness Coalition
• Polk County Health and Human Services Agency
• St. Luke's Hospital 
• WNC Healthy Impact

Partners with a Role in Helping Our Community Do Better on This Issue:

• Polk County Library
• Thermal Belt Outreach
• NC Cooperative Extension
• Polk County Parks and Recreation
• Blue Ridge Health Center- Polk
• Senior Life Solutions
• VAYA Health
• NC Courts System
• Isothermal Planning and Development Commission
• United Methodist Church- Columbus and Saluda
• Polk County Wellness Coalition 
• Polk County Health and Human Services Agency
• St. Luke's Hospital
• RHA Health Services

The following actions have been identified by our partners and community members as ideas for what can work for our community to make a difference on improving healthy eating and active living.

Actions and Approaches Identified by Our Partners These are actions and approaches that our partners think can make a difference on healthy eating and active living.

•  Increase in cooking demonstration classes
•  Improved access to Farmer's Markets
•  More local gardens
•  Insurance discounts at local gyms
•  A local YMCA
• Gleaning Programs
• Rails to Trails
• Polk County Senior Games

What is Currently Working in Our Community These are actions and approaches that are currently in place in our community to make a difference on healthy eating and active living.

• Polk FIT Challenge
• Farmer's Markets
• Local Walking Groups
• Cooking demonstrations for seniors
• Healthy Eating education provided in school

Evidence-Based Strategies These are actions and approaches that have been shown to make a difference on healthy eating and active living.

What Community Members Most Affected by Lack of Healthy Eating and Active Living Say These are the actions and approaches recommended by members of our community who are most affected by healthy eating and active living

•  "We need more focus on youth strategies"
•  "Influence is needed to at the legislation level to improve food quality"
•  "More help with getting people to experience poverty, such as the Cost of Poverty experience simulations."

Process for Selecting Priority Strategies

Polk County is a small, rural county with limited resources to address health priorities. When selecting our priorities we focused on those that would allow us to establish collaborations that will be successful in achieving our goals and objectives. Our focus was to choose strategies that addressed adult obesity rates which can have a significant impact on chronic disease risks. We looked at feasibility and which strategies would have the most significant impact on community members.