Mayor Landrieu’s Fit NOLA Initiative Wins 1st Place In Childhood Obesity Prevention Awards
NEW ORLEANS – The City of New Orleans Health Department’s Fit NOLA initiative was recently ranked first place in the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) 2016 Childhood Obesity Prevention Awards, which honors cities with outstanding programs that encourage healthy weight through balanced diet choices and regular physical activity.
The Fit NOLA initiative’s School Sector will receive $150,000 to work with the city’s public schools to improve physical activity and access to healthy food.
“I thank USCM and American Beverage Foundation for recognizing New Orleans as a national leader in fighting obesity,” said Mayor Landrieu. “We are creating healthy neighborhoods where families can flourish, and that starts in the schools. Our goal is to be a healthier New Orleans by our 300th anniversary in 2018, so that we can focus on economic growth and job creation.”
New Orleans was awarded first place in the large city category of the USCM awards program ahead of Baltimore, MD. Four other cities in the U.S. were selected to receive grant funding through this awards program, which is the result of a partnership between USCM and American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America. The other cities include Columbia, SC; Everett, MA; Fontana, CA; and Plainfield, NJ.
The Fit NOLA School Sector created the Fit NOLA Schools Designation program to recognize institutions for healthy practices and assist in health and wellness growth. Based on national in-school wellness models, the School Designation Program will award one of four designation levels to schools— Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards. This funding will allow Fit NOLA Schools to help expand the nutritional and physical activity programming by awarding mini-grants to the designees.
Applications to enter into 2016 round of designations are now open.
