American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown Salutes First Anniversary Of 'Let's Move!' Campaign
October 07, 2017
As 'Let's Move!' marks its first anniversary, we can celebrate the campaign's achievements, large and small, in activating citizens, businesses, government officials and public health groups for an initiative that will ultimately turn the tide on childhood obesity. Never before has there been such a coordinated effort between all of the government agencies to address an issue which is so important to the future health of our nation.
The American Heart Association is proud to be a strong supporter of 'Let's Move!' and has expanded innovative physical activity and nutrition programs to make it easier for families to stay one step ahead of the healthy living movement.
'Let's Move!' has made a concerted effort to engage Americans where they live, work, learn and play. As a result, many communities across the country have embraced the goals of the campaign by increasing physical activity programs during and after school, supporting Safe Routes to School programs, creating walking and biking paths and working with the food industry to increase access to healthy, affordable foods. Elementary students are now learning about the importance of fruits and vegetables through the association's new Teaching Gardens program which is intended to build a lifetime of healthy eating and regular physical activity among children.
Enactment of the Child Nutrition Act was a significant milestone for 'Let's Move!' The legislation, supported by the First Lady, will improve the nutritional quality of school meals, remove junk food from schools and strengthen school wellness policies. The American Heart Association also worked closely with congressional leadership and the Administration to move the bill forward. We continue to work diligently to pass federal and state legislation to improve the quality of physical education and increase access to healthier foods in schools and communities.
The association is excited about what has been accomplished in the 'Let's Move!' campaign to this point and looks forward to collaborating with the Administration on other initiatives to help children and families become more physically active and nutrition focused.
Source:
American Heart Association