Local Elected Officials Recognized for Efforts to Reduce Childhood Obesity and Their Role in Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties

Last week, the National League of Cities (NLC) awarded 541 medals to 118 communities across the country, in recognition of their outstanding efforts to complete health and wellness goals for Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties (LMCTC).  This marked the first time local elected officials who committed to the five goals of LMCTC were awarded their medal certificates by NLC since the latest chapter of the initiative was launched in July.  Each month forward, NLC will recognize local elected officials who are achieving the LMCTC benchmarks.

As part of the announcement NLC President Ted Ellis, mayor of Bluffton, IN, recognized twelve communities for their highest overall achievements among LMCTC sites in the medal standings for the five goals. Joining in the announcement were Dr. Howard K. Koh, MD, MPH, Assistant Secretary of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Joseph Curtatone, mayor of Somerville, MA; and Mike Kasperzak, mayor of Mountain View, CA, who spoke about the important role local elected officials play in the health of their communities. The twelve communities receiving awards include:

• Chicago, IL and Los Angeles, CA for sites with populations over 250,000 people
• Norfolk, VA, Jackson, MS and St. Petersburg, FL for sites with populations between 100,000 and 249,999
• Meriden, CT, Mountain View, CA and Somerville, MA for sites with populations between 50,000 and 99,999 people
• Annapolis, MD and Casa Grande, AZ for sites with populations between 25,000 and 49,999 people
• Columbia, PA and Farragut, TN for sites with populations less than 25,000 people

“I am proud that NLC supports local elected officials in their work in creating healthier lifestyles. Mayors, city council members, county commissioners and other local officials around the country are to be commended for stepping up to the challenge of Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties and making measurable progress in their efforts to improve children’s health,” said NLC President Ted Ellis, Mayor of Bluffton, IN.

LMCTC sites have the opportunity to earn up to five gold medals, one for each actionable goal to which they commit as part of the initiative. Today, medals were awarded to local elected officials based on achievements in each of the following five goal areas:

• Goal 1: Start Early, Start Smart: Promoting best practices for nutrition, physical activity, and screen time in early care and education settings
• Goal 2: My Plate, Your Place: Prominently displaying MyPlate in all municipal or county venues where food is served
• Goal 3: Smart Servings for Students: Increasing participation in school breakfast and lunch programs
• Goal 4: Model Food Service: Implementing healthy and sustainable food service guidelines that are aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans
• Goal 5: Active Kids at Play: Increasing opportunities for physical activity

“Today, we celebrate communities across America that tackled childhood obesity with great commitment as part of Let’s Move! Cities, Towns, and Counties,” said Assistant Secretary Koh. “Healthier communities can improve quality of life for all.”

Mayor Mike Kasperzak remarked, “Because of our participation in the HEAL Campaign and Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties, the City of Mountain View now actively promotes a community culture of health and wellness through programs, services and collaborations. I encourage local elected officials to work together to ensure a healthy future for our children.”

Here are a few highlights from the 12 LMCTC sites who received awards for their overall achievements :

Mountain View, California

Mountain View’s child care and afterschool providers and additional partner agencies are teaching kids about smart food and beverage choices and providing opportunities for increased physical activity. For example, they are displaying MyPlate in their facilities, teaching kids to choose sugar free beverages through campaigns like, “Rethink Your Drink”.  Their K-8 schools adopted healthy food service standards and serve a healthy breakfast, lunch, snack and supper programs in their jointly operated afterschool program for over 200 children.  Additionally, play spaces, parks and gyms are planned and provided throughout the community in a collaborative effort with the schools to increase opportunities for kids to be active.

St. Petersburg, Florida

The City of St. Petersburg collaborates with several partners to support the LMCTC goals, such as, the Pinellas County School District (PCSD), the Pinellas County Health Department and the Juvenile Welfare Board.  One example of support is with the PCSD, which offers a nutritious breakfast and/or lunch during the school year for each of our 35,000 public school students. The City has committed to build playgrounds within a safe walk of every child in St. Petersburg, and with City property being limited, the City is partnering with the PCSD (in a joint-use agreement) to place eight city owned playgrounds on school properties throughout the county.  During school hours, these parks are exclusively used by students, but in the evenings and on weekends the parks are open to the public.

Jackson, Mississippi

The City of Jackson incorporates Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties best practices in municipal food services, nutrition education programs, and in management of recreational services and facilities. The nutrition coordinator for Jackson’s Early Childhood Development Centers uses the healthy food and beverage guidelines to plan menus at each center, and MyPlate information is displayed in 100% of municipally-owned venues that serve meals. City Administration recently developed a policy for healthy and sustainable food services that is applied at all municipal food service facilities.  The City of Jackson operates over 55 public parks and recreational facilities, which are mapped on the KaBoom! website and in the municipal Leisure Services Guide.  Recreational equipment upgrades and new parks are often funded in partnership with neighborhood associations and community organizations, so play spaces continue to improve and appeal to Jackson’s diverse population.

Farragut, Tennessee

The Town of Farragut is offering local childcare organizations the opportunity to host trainings at the Farragut Town Hall.  In addition, the Town of Farragut has registered as a MyPlate Community Partner, committing to work alongside the USDA to help the community make meaningful, sustainable and healthy dietary changes based on the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. As part of this partnership, the Town displays the MyPlate poster at every event where food is served. The Town has also mapped all of its playspaces on the KaBoom! website (www.kaboom.org) and is continually working to provide more areas for play in Farragut.

The National League of Cities (NLC) is the lead collaborating partner on this initiative, working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Association of Counties, and other nonprofit organizations, in assisting local elected officials to implement policy and environmental changes to prevent childhood obesity. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded NLC a grant to provide technical assistance to local elected officials working to create healthier communities and prevent childhood obesity, including sites participating in LMCTC.

For more information about the LMCTC initiative, its accomplishments, and how local elected officials can sign up, visit: www.healthycommunitieshealthyfuture.org.