History of the Plan

A PowerPoint presentation describing the
history of the NPAP from creation to launch

The first National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) for the United States was developed through an open, transparent process that began in October, 2006 and culminated in the NPAP’s launch in May, 2010.

Development of the NPAP was led by a Coordinating Committee representing national organizations at the forefront of physical activity and public health. The Coordinating Committee worked closely with eight Sector Working Groups made up of over 300 individuals from government, non-government, private industry and non-profit organizations, to develop and refine the content of the NPAP.

The Coordinating Committee and Sector Working Groups received early input from leading experts in each of the eight societal sectors represented in the NPAP. Each national expert produced a white paper stating evidence-based rationale for recommended action in their sector. In November, 2009 the white papers were published in a special issue of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health.

A seminal event in the NPAP’s development was a National Conference held in July, 2009 in Washington, D.C. At this 2-day working conference, white paper authors presented their findings, and international experts presented findings from the national physical activity plans of other nations. The conference provided the foundation for the development of the NPAP’s content.

In January, 2010 the first draft of the NPAP was circulated for comment to the more than three hundred individuals involved in the NPAP’s development. Feedback was collected and assimilated allowing for even wider distribution of a second draft in March, 2010. A third and final draft was again widely circulated in April, 2010 in preparation for the NPAP’s release and launch in May, 2010