Seven organizations representing policy-makers from across the country have received a total of nearly $2 million in grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to help communities increase children's access to affordable healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity.
The grants were awarded through Leadership for Healthy Communities, an RWJF national program that assists state and local leaders in their efforts to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic.
With nearly a third of children and adolescents either overweight or obese in this country, more than 23 million young people are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other serious chronic diseases. The toll on an already overburdened health care system is increasing exponentially. Studies estimate that the obesity epidemic is already costing the nation more than $147 billion annually in direct medical expenses.
These new grants will support initiatives to educate legislators, mayors, health directors, school boards and other officials who are key to strong obesity-prevention policies being implemented in states, counties and towns. The awards come one week after First Lady Michelle Obama called on all Americans, including policy-makers at all levels, to join her Let's Move Campaign to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic.
"Because of their influence in shaping the environments in which children live, learn and play, elected and appointed officials are critical partners in efforts to prevent childhood obesity," said Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, Ph.D., director of Leadership for Healthy Communities. "These seven organizations have an impressive record of working with policy-makers to successfully implement strategies that support the health of children and their families."
The organizations will concentrate on 15 states in the Southern region, where obesity rates are among the nation's highest. The groups already have identified some of the strategies they will seek to advance through their efforts with government leaders there. Those include:
- altering local land-use and open-space policies so that children and teens have better access to parks and more options for recreation;
- creating and implementing strong local school wellness policies to ensure that children have easy access to affordable healthy foods in cafeterias and vending machines;
- expanding opportunities for students to be active for at least 30 minutes daily by including physical education as a core requirement in school curriculums;
- creating safe routes for children to walk and bike to school; and
- supporting farmers' markets, community gardens and the procurement of locally grown foods for schools and communities.
"While everyone has a role to play in combating childhood obesity, policy-makers are in a unique position to bring about the changes our society needs to succeed," said
Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of the Foundation. "That's why the work of
Leadership for Healthy Communities is so important."
The organizations receiving RWJF grants of approximately $300,000 include: