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Ten States Awarded $100,000 Grants by NGA to Combat Obesity On July 12, ten states were awarded $100,000 by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) to fund childhood obesity prevention efforts in schools and communities. The ten states include Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. The states will use the funding for the development of strategies to prevent childhood obesity by instituting social changes, influencing private-sector efforts and leading public-sector policy initiatives. Funding for these grants was made possible with the generous support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The NGA Center’s Healthy Kids, Healthy America program aims to motivate and guide action from governors and senior state leaders, help create an action plan for advancing obesity prevention and promote state leadership by encouraging private sectors to promote obesity prevention policies. “Increasing physical activity and educating our children about proper nutrition are fundamental strategies to reversing the rising obesity epidemic,” said John Thomasian, director of the NGA Center. ”The challenge for states is to develop interventions that have the greatest impact, and these awards will help states in their planning efforts.” For more information, visit www.nga.org/center/healthyamerica. |