Abstract More than two-thirds of adults and almost one-third of children in North Carolina are overweight or obese. These high rates are of great concern, because overweight and obesity are related to increased risk of chronic disease and decreases in life expectancy, productivity, and quality of life. To address these issues, a state organization called Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina (ESMMNC) is working to make the healthy choice the easy choice through the promotion of policy change as well as change in physical and social environments. ESMMNC recently published North Carolina's Plan to Address Obesity: Healthy Weight and Healthy Communities 2013-2020 as a physical activity and healthy eating strategy guide for organizations in particular settings. The purpose of this public service project was to assist the ESMMNC Executive Committee in tracking the progress of the 2013-2020 Plan so they could consider how to better support the work of ESMMNC Leadership Team member organizations. For this public service project, I worked with the ESMMNC Executive Committee to create and distribute an online survey, and in the coming month, I will analyze and report on the results. Survey results will show which strategies from the 2013-2020 Plan have been adopted most, have not been adopted at all, are most difficult to implement, and which provide the greatest impact or benefit to organizations in certain settings. Through this project, I have learned about the importance of and barriers to communication and collaboration in a state-level organization while improving my own skills in communication and research. I have also gained a greater understanding of obesity as a multifaceted issue, influenced by numerous factors and therefore demanding comprehensive approaches in order to affect positive change
