Obesity in Cypress Hills

The Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation (CHLDC) is a communitybased nonprofit organization in Brooklyn that provides services and implements neighborhood development projects to improve the surrounding community. Obesity, a serious problem that can lead to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, arthritis and certain types of cancer, is disproportionately higher in Cypress Hills than in the rest of Brooklyn and New York City. The CHLDC requested a Capstone team to identify and analyze factors contributing to the local prevalence of obesity and develop recommendations for community action and advocacy. In order to accomplish this, the team utilized primary and secondary data collection methods, conducted surveys, focus groups with community members, key informant interviews with local health and public service members, and a comprehensive literature review of multi-pronged community interventions to promote healthy behavior. The Capstone team’s final recommendations presented a community action plan to effectively address the underlying factors of obesity and sustain long-term impact.