PRIORITY POLICY
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The CDC plays an active role in ensuring all Americans, no matter who they are or where they live, are able to lead healthy lives
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO) seeks to ensure that all Americans can maintain a healthy weight through good nutrition and regular physical activity. DNPAO, which was funded at $103.8 million in FY2019, focuses on improving nutrition, supporting breastfeeding, increasing physical activity, reducing obesity, and reducing health inequities among different geographic, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. For example, the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Program supports local community initiatives prioritizing good nutrition and physical activity in communities whose residents have higher-than-average rates of obesity and chronic disease.
CDC Healthy Schools, a branch of the Division of Population Health, works with states, school systems, communities and national partners to promote the health and well-being of children and teens in school. CDC Healthy Schools, which was funded at $15.4 million in FY2019, focuses on analyzing data and translating research, funding state education agencies and school health partners, training school staff and other priorities to help promote policies and practices that support healthy eating and physical activity in schools. For example, CDC Healthy Schools uses integrated research and best practices to provide school health guidelines and other resources for nutrition, physical education and physical activity, and the management of chronic health conditions.
The CDC also administers the Prevention and Public Health Fund (Prevention Fund), the first mandatory funding stream dedicated to improving our nation’s public health. The Prevention Fund supports health initiatives run by states, counties, cities, non-profit organizations and tribal organizations. Congress appropriated more than $8.1 billion between FY2010 and FY2018 for the Prevention Fund. A variety of Prevention Fund grants have focused on healthy eating and active living — two core pillars of the National Prevention Strategy
Recommendations
• CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity should have adequate resources to support grants to all 50 states to implement multi-sector campaigns to address obesity.
• The CDC’s REACH program should have adequate resources to support programs across the country working to address racial and ethnic health disparities.
CDC Funding Success Stories
CDC has compiled a list of success stories in healthy food retail, access to fruits and vegetables, physical activity in early care and education settings, physical activity in community settings, and more.
CDC Funding in the States
States and tribes across the nation receive funding from CDC through REACH, the State Physical Activity and Nutrition Program and the High Obesity Program. CDC maintains a database and an interactive map of their funding. Grantees include state and local health departments, universities, public health institutes, cities, and more.
Fast Facts
56.9M
 The CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity received nearly $57 million in funding in FY2019.
$15.4M
In FY2019, Congress appropriated $15.4 million for school health to CDC Healthy Schools.
16
The CDC’s State Physical Activity and Nutrition program funds statewide initiatives in 16 states and requires all grantees to integrate nutrition and physical activity standards into early child care and education systems and/or supports.