Scott Estle and Karen Balnis will spearhead work on the Lighten Up NH! Initiative, aimed at helping New Hampshire residents reach and maintain a healthy weight.

The project includes a comprehensive website of New Hampshire-specific resources and formation of a statewide Lighten Up NH! alliance of organizations and health professionals interested in reducing obesity in the Granite State. The project is funded with a three-year grant from HNHfoundation.

An interdisciplinary team has been reviewing the many dimensions of the obesity issue to find ways to expand UNH's outreach. Each team member knew of many first-rate local and statewide initiatives aimed at some aspect of the problem, but soon realized the state lacked a program to make them visible to one another, and to connect all these people and programs in some meaningful way.

This website will collect and integrate all obesity resources specific to New Hampshire as well as connect people in interactive online communities of practice and interest. The site will organize and integrate the best online resources in ways that individuals, parents, teachers, health professionals and community leaders will find useful. As a result, community leaders might visit the site to learn about approaches other communities have tried, health professionals to connect their patients with local programs, and individuals to find information and peer support. The alliance will help concerned professionals, organizations and individuals connect with each other to share ideas, collaborate on programs, and maximize scarce resources.

Extension works in communities throughout New Hampshire in nearly every dimension of human life. With its long history of establishing successful coalitions that bring together a wide array of people and organizations working toward a common goal, forming the alliance was a natural role for Extension to play in our statewide effort to tackle obesity.