AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR FITNESS AND NUTRITION APPLAUDS RWJF EFFORTS ON OBESITY

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) recently announced a commitment of $500 million over the next five years in an effort to address childhood obesity, with a goal of reversing the obesity trend by 2015. With this investment, RWJF will expand school-based programs; help states and communities coordinate their efforts, advocate for change and evaluate impact.

The American Council for Fitness and Nutrition (ACFN) realized the need to support school and community based programs, specifically those most at-risk, during its TRIUMPH tour across the country in 2005. Last year, ACFN partnered with the American Dietetic Association Foundation (ADAF) and took its learnings from the TRIUMPH tour and put them into action through the development of two separate and authoritative blueprints for African-American and Hispanic communities. This year ACFN has partnered with the ADAF and PE4Life to launch a pilot in Kansas City schools to fight obesity.

“The problem of childhood obesity did not arise over night and nor will a solution,” said ACFN CEO, Susan Finn, Ph.D., R.D., L.D., F.A.D.A. “That’s why it’s so important all sectors step up to the plate and become engaged on this issue—through not only funding, but also time, energy and action. We are thrilled the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has recognized the need and made such a significant step in helping address this problem, and we look forward to working with them in our mutual efforts to find sustainable solutions in the fight against obesity.”

ACFN Advisory Board member, Keith Ayoob, associate professor in the department of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine added that the RWJF effort has great potential, and that it is critical the funding is not used on only institutional programs but also on programs aimed at parents that ensure healthy lifestyle choices for children in their home environments.

ACFN’s Kansas City Healthy School Pilot Program will be conducted in the states of Missouri and Kansas in Fall of 2007 and will include students in elementary, middle and high school.