New 10-year plan seeks to improve Alabamians’ health

Alabama has alarming rankings when it comes to health and nutrition compared to the rest of the US, and Alabama Public Health is looking to change that in the coming years. To that end, the Alabama Wellness Alliance has put together a 10-year plan, the Alabama Physical Activity and Nutrition Plan (ALPAN). Here’s what you need to know about it.

ALPAN covers many areas of health + nutrition

With contributions from experts all over the state, ALPAN is full of evidence-based recommendations to improve the health of Alabamians in the coming years.

“ALPAN was developed to employ evidence-based physical activity and nutrition strategies to improve health using collaborative and consistent approaches.”

Alabama Public Health, from the ALPAN

The plan covers topics such as obesity, health disparities and inadequate physical health + nutrition. To address these concerns, ALPAN identifies eight sectors, which include the following:

• Business + industry
• Education
• Fitness + sports
• Healthcare
• Nonprofit, volunteer + faith-based organizations
• Public health
• Public lands, parks + recreation
• Transportation, community planning + access

Each sector has specific goals—a total of 23 across the sectors. For instance, a goal of the education sector, according to the ALPAN, is to “Increase the proportion of Alabama schools with active, supported wellness policies.” Each of these goals has its own objectives, as well as recommendations for meeting each objective.

With very specific recommendations, the plan is far from abstract. The 38 pages provide realistic, actionable steps to making Alabama a healthier place.

How you can access ALPAN

ALPAN is free and accessible to anyone, whether you’re in healthcare, policy, or simply want the guidelines for personal use.

You can get access to the document on Alabama Public Health’s website after filling out a quick survey. They also have compiled a one-pager that overviews the purpose and mission of ALPAN.

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