Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties combats childhood obesity
More than 300 cities and counties have joined First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties (LMCTC) initiative. Through LMCTC, each member area has agreed to institute initiatives to combat childhood obesity.
To assist participating areas, LMCTC developed a five step program that emphasizes better nutrition and physical activity to reduce childhood obesity, according to the Healthy Communities for a Healthy Future (HCHF) website. The five step program includes:
- An early start to healthy eating habits
- The MyPlate display program, where city officials display the MyPlate symbol for healthy meals in municipally- or county-owned and operated food venues
- Improved school nutrition
- The implementation of healthy and sustainable food service guidelines
- The development of local physical activity areas for children
The Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties initiative is comprised of over 300 different cities and counties, including:
- Los Angeles, Calif.
- Boston, Mass.
- Philadelphia, Pa.
- Chicago, Ill.
- Washington, D.C.
- Dallas, Texas
- Denver, Colo.
- Tampa, Fla.
- St. Louis, Mo.
- New Orleans, La.
For a complete list of the participating cities and counties, visit the HCHF map.
The First Lady developed a comprehensive outline to decrease the childhood obesity epidemic in Feb. 2010 with the Let’s Move! initiative, according to letsmove.gov. The success of the program led to a celebration at the White House where First Lady Obama spoke to a group of elected officials, including members of The National League of Cities, a LMCTC partner. “I am confident that if we keep doing what we’re doing, we are going to end this epidemic, and we’re not only going to make our kids healthier, but, as we see with the data, our communities are going to be stronger,” the First Lady said in her remarks to the gathered officials at the White House.
According to a press release from the NLC, 40 elected officials from across the country joined the First Lady and the NLC at the White House July 10 to celebrate. The officials attended a panel discussion where four members spoke on the reasons for implementing the healthy benefits of the Let’s Move! initiative in their cities, according to the NLC.”We are thrilled to celebrate and support the hard work that leaders of cities and counties are doing all over this country to reduce the childhood obesity epidemic,” Clarence Anthony, executive director of the NLC, said while introducing the panel.
Photograph taken by Christine Rhee, courtesy of the NLC.
For more information on how to join, visit the HCHF website.
Interesting that half of the
Interesting that half of the above mentioned childhood obesity obese cities–Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, and New Orleans–are also in the top twenty TRAVEL+LEISURE “America’s Dirtiest Cities,” with New York City deemed the #1 Dirtiest. There maybe a positive correlation between highly populated, illegally rubbished urban areas and notable numbers of (often fast-food eating) overweight children living in these mentioned “un-Green.” areas. Over 70 studies have noted adolescents 16 and older are most prone or willing to litter and dump trash, much of it fast food wrappers, containers and bottles.
please put me opn your e-mail
please put me opn your e-mail list.
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Mr. Doherty – You may sign up for our weekly e-newsletters on our homepage, americancityandcounty.com, by going to “Newsletter Signup” (halfway down the page on the right) and selecting which/any of the newsletters you would like to receive. Best, E