National League of Cities Commends First Lady on Commitment to Reducing Childhood Obesity
Washington, DC – The National League of Cities (NLC) would like to commend First Lady Michelle Obama on her commitment to addressing the problem of childhood obesity in communities across the country. The First Lady’s efforts to promote nutrition and fitness will have an immensely positive effect on our nation’s communities, as well as the overall health and wellness of our country. The First Lady announced this initiative today during her remarks before the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Through its Institute for Youth, Education, and Families, NLC works to combat childhood obesity by raising awareness among municipal leaders about actions they can take to reverse the obesity epidemic. With support from Leadership for Healthy Communities, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, NLC has created a network of municipal officials committed to reducing childhood obesity. NLC has also partnered with the American Association of School Administrators to provide technical assistance to municipal and school district officials in six cities to develop comprehensive community wellness strategies and policies. The Institute’s action kit for municipal leaders on Combating Childhood Obesity outlines a broad range of steps city leaders can take to promote healthy eating, access to healthy food and active living.
Today, more than 12 million children and adolescents are considered obese, putting these children at higher risk of developing serious health problems later in life, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This increase in potential health problems may cost governments, businesses and families $117 billion per year in future health care costs.
For more information on NLC’s work on childhood obesity, visit http://www.nlc.org/IYEF/youthdevelopment/obesity/.
The National League of Cities is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.
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Washington, DC – The National League of Cities (NLC) would like to commend First Lady Michelle Obama on her commitment to addressing the problem of childhood obesity in communities across the country. The First Lady’s efforts to promote nutrition and fitness will have an immensely positive effect on our nation’s communities, as well as the overall health and wellness of our country. The First Lady announced this initiative today during her remarks before the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Through its Institute for Youth, Education, and Families, NLC works to combat childhood obesity by raising awareness among municipal leaders about actions they can take to reverse the obesity epidemic. With support from Leadership for Healthy Communities, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, NLC has created a network of municipal officials committed to reducing childhood obesity. NLC has also partnered with the American Association of School Administrators to provide technical assistance to municipal and school district officials in six cities to develop comprehensive community wellness strategies and policies. The Institute’s action kit for municipal leaders on Combating Childhood Obesity outlines a broad range of steps city leaders can take to promote healthy eating, access to healthy food and active living.
Today, more than 12 million children and adolescents are considered obese, putting these children at higher risk of developing serious health problems later in life, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This increase in potential health problems may cost governments, businesses and families $117 billion per year in future health care costs.
For more information on NLC’s work on childhood obesity, visit http://www.nlc.org/IYEF/youthdevelopment/obesity/.
The National League of Cities is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.
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