Leaders from cities, states with declining childhood obesity rates share strategies for success

NewMediaWire via Webwire

Washington, D.C., July 9, 2013 — Representatives from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors gathered in Washington, D.C., today to highlight signs of progress in local and state efforts to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic and share strategies to address this national public health challenge.

The event was hosted by Voices for Healthy Kids, a joint initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and American Heart Association (AHA) that works to help all young people eat healthier foods and be more active, with a goal of reversing the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States by 2015.

“These early signs of progress are extremely promising,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, president and CEO of RWJF. “The leaders joining us today are showing that we can reverse the childhood obesity epidemic, and that we must continue to learn from what’s happening on the ground so we can prioritize strategies that are working"

Panelists from four states and five cities or counties that have measured declines in their childhood obesity rates discussed their successes with those in attendance. While the specifics varied for each location, the declines generally were measured since the mid-2000s and range from a 1.1 percent decline among students in grades 5, 7, and 9 in California, to a 13 percent decline among K-5 students in Mississippi. All of the locations have taken comprehensive action to address the epidemic.

“In order to see these declines replicated across the country, we have to make healthy changes in every school district, every community and every state,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of AHA. “These communities have confirmed that the childhood obesity epidemic can be reversed. As Voices for Healthy Kids begins advocacy efforts to ensure all policies support the health of young people, I’m confident there is much progress to come.”

During the keynote session, Mayor Chip Johnson of Hernando, Miss., and Tom Farley,commissioner of the New York City Health Department, talked about the strategies that have been effective in addressing the epidemic in their communities, and what the nation can do to extend those strategies to all communities.

“The epidemic of childhood obesity is a consequence of our children spending time in homes, schools, neighborhoods, and communities in which it is simply too easy to consume excess calories and too difficult to expend them,” said Farley. “To reverse this epidemic, we must create a healthier food environment for them and engineer physical activity back into their daily lives.

”“As community leaders, we have an obligation to create an atmosphere and opportunity for good health in our cities,” said Johnson. “This can be done in a variety of ways such as hosting a farmers market that makes locally grown, healthy food available to people from all parts of the community; mandating sidewalks in all new and redeveloped properties; and creating a park system to offer opportunities for recreation on a daily basis”

While the cities and states taking part in the event today have measured declines in their childhood obesity rates, the issue remains a severe problem for the nation’s health and budget. More than 23.5 million children and adolescents in the United States—nearly one out of every three young people—are overweight or obese. The medical cost of adult obesity in the United States is difficult to calculate, but estimates range from $147 billion to nearly $210 billion per year.

The leaders taking part in the event included:

• California: Veva Islas-Hooker, regional director of the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program

• Mississippi: Mayor Chip Johnson of Hernando, Miss., and Rev. Michael Minor, national director, H.O.P.E. HHS Partnership, National Baptist Convention, USA

• New Mexico: Notah Begay III, four-time PGA Tour winner and founder, Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation

• West Virginia: Dr. Jamie Jeffrey, medical director of the Children’s Medical Center & Healthy Kids Pediatric Weight Management Program at Charleston Area Medical Center

• Anchorage, Alaska: Cindy Norquest, program director, Healthy Futures Alaska

• Granville/Vance Counties, N.C.: Lisa Harrison, Health Director, Granville and Vance Counties

• Kearney, Neb.: Carol Renner, associate superintendent of Kearney Public Schools

• New York City: Dr. Thomas Farley, commissioner of the New York City Health Department

• Philadelphia: Dr. Giridhar Mallya, director of policy and planning, Philadelphia Department of Public Health

Contact Information

Suzette Harris:

Communications

American Heart Association

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