Physical Activity and Nutrition
Key Initiatives
Partnerships
Program Contacts
3601 C Street, Suite 722
Anchorage AK 99503
Fax: 907-269-5446
pan@alaska.gov
Webpage updated March 2024
Physical Activity and Nutrition
Alaskans can prevent many diseases and early deaths if they grow up at a healthy weight and maintain that healthy weight throughout their life. About 1 out of 3 Alaska children is overweight or obese, as are 2 out of 3 adults.
Our mission is to improve Alaskans’ quality of life and lower related health care costs. Our work focuses on reducing obesity-related disease and death from diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancers and other health problems linked to a lack of physical activity and poor nutrition.
Our program:
- Helps young Alaskans grow up healthy by improving physical activity and nutrition in schools and child care programs
- Supports building a healthy workforce by improving the availability of healthy foods and drinks in workplaces
- Helps Alaskans be physically active by ensuring convenient routes for walking and biking to schools, parks and stores
- Educates the public through the Play Every Day campaign on ways to maintain a healthy weight though nutrition and physical activity
- Collects, evaluates and reports on obesity trends, physical activity and nutrition behaviors among children and adults
Individuals, communities and schools can do the following:
Support Alaskans to adopt healthy habits that can lower their chances of weight-related diseases:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Get regular physical activity
- Limit sugary drink consumption
- Support breastfeeding to help infants grow up at a healthy weight
Join our partnership with Healthy Futures, so more elementary schools participate and more children log their daily physical activity and build the healthy habit of staying active.
Talk with your health care provider about ways to maintain a healthy weight.