This report on the National Governors Association’s Healthy Kids, Healthy America grant program profiles progress made by states on children’s obesity prevention programs and policies.
The initiative, launched in 2007 in response to a growing number of obese American children, awarded grants to 15 states. Funding went to three main areas: child care settings (2), policy planning (4) and school-based developments (9).
The report highlights what states were able to do with grant support. Kentucky created a committee to develop nutrition and physical activity standards and staff training for child care centers; Minnesota conducted a survey of state policies and programs and then started a policy action plan for preventing obesity; Indiana and Utah established in-class programs; New York implemented health-related initiatives for after-school programs.
The last section emphasizes a governor’s role in developing state policies and programs for preventing childhood obesity.
Free, 44 pages. http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/1003healthykidsprofiles.pdf.
