Key points
- CDC funds 16 land grant universities to carry out the High Obesity Program (HOP).
- The current 5-year program (CDC-RFA-DP-23-0013) runs from 2023 to 2028.
- HOP supports policy, systems, and environmental changes to address health disparities related to nutrition, physical activity, and obesity.
- HOP celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2024.
Background
CDC’s HOP is a 5-year cooperative agreement to fund 16 land-grant universities to work with community extension services. HOP works in primarily rural areas where 40% or more of adults have obesity. Approximately 1 in 5 U.S. children and adolescents have obesity and more than 2 in 5 U.S. adults have obesity. Obesity costs the US healthcare system almost $173 billion a year.
The program's goal is to improve access to healthier foods and safe places for physical activity. The universities work with state investments and resources. Partners represent many professions, such as agriculture, transportation, education, health care, parks and recreation, business, housing, and defense and military.
The universities work with community extension services on evidence-based strategies for:
- Food and nutrition security through food service and nutrition guidelines and fruit and vegetable vouchers and produce prescriptions.
- Increasing physical activity through community design.
- Family healthy weight programs.
- Early care and education settings.
View the original HOP funding opportunity announcement.
HOP recipients, fiscal year 2025
Download the FY2025 Recipient HOP map.
| State | HOP 2023 Recipient | Counties Working In | FY 2025 Funding Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Auburn University (Auburn) | Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Escambia, Etowah, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry, Russell, Sumter, and Wilcox | $888,000 |
| Arkansas | University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service (Little Rock) | Bradley, Crittenden, Cross, Desha, Drew, Hempstead, Lee, Monroe, Ouachita, Phillips, and St. Francis | $780,000 |
| Georgia | University of Georgia (Athens) | Clay, Dooly, Stewart, Burke, Crisp, McDuffie, Richmond, Rockdale, Sumter, and Washington | $804,000 |
| Iowa | Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Ames) | Cedar, Clinton, Crawford, Franklin, Muscatine, and Pottawattamie | $510,000 |
| Louisiana | Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge) | Madison, Tensas, East Carroll, Morehouse, St. Helena, Assumption, Catahoula, Claiborne, Winn, Washington, Terrebonne, and St. Martin | $804,000 |
| Mississippi | Mississippi State University (Starkville) | Bolivar, Claiborne, Coahoma, Holmes, Humphreys, Kemper, Noxubee, Sharkey, Sunflower, Washington, and Yazoo | $888,000 |
| Missouri | The Curators of University of Missouri (Columbia) | New Madrid, Mississippi, Scott, Stoddard, Ripley, Wayne, Howell, Wright, Crawford, and Washington | $768,000 |
| North Carolina | North Carolina State University (Raleigh) | Warren, Halifax, Northampton, Hertford, Bertie, Washington, Lenoir, Jones, Columbus, and Robeson | $768,000 |
| Ohio | The Ohio State University (Columbus) | Lawrence and Fayette | $499,330 |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma State University (Stillwater) | Adair, Greer, Harmon, LeFlore, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Haskell, McCurtain, Muskogee, and Sequoyah | $780,000 |
| South Carolina | Clemson University (Clemson) | Marlboro, Dillon, Marion, Darlington, Florence, Lee, Orangeburg, Allendale, Bamberg, and Hampton | $768,000 |
| South Dakota | South Dakota State University (Brookings) | Buffalo, Corson, Dewey, Oglala Lakota, and Ziebach | $525,000 |
| Tennessee | The University of Tennessee (Knoxville) | Clay, Crockett, Decatur, Hancock, Hardeman, Haywood, and Henderson | $525,000 |
| Texas | Texas A&M (College Station) | Angelina, Cameron, Cherokee, Falls, Hidalgo, Houston, Maverick, Morris, Newton, San Augustine, Webb, Wharton, and Wilbarger | $828,000 |
| West Virginia | West Virginia University (Morgantown) | Braxton, Boone, Calhoun, Clay, Fayette, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, Monroe, and Summers | $750,000 |
| Wisconsin | University of Wisconsin (Madison) | Ashland and Menominee | $500,000 |