AURORA | The National League of Cities last month recognized Aurora’s Mayor Steve Hogan for the city’s recent completion of key health and wellness goals for Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties. Let’s Move! is a major component of former First Lady Michelle Obama’s comprehensive initiative to ensure kids grow up healthy. The group works closely with local elected officials nationwide to adopt policies that improve access to healthy affordable food and opportunities for physical activity for their constituents across five goal areas.
“Thanks to your dedication to the health and wellness of your community, Aurora is part of a nationwide movement that supports health in cities, towns and counties across the United States,” said National League of Cities President Melodee Colbert-Kean, councilmember and former mayor of Joplin, Missouri. “By improving access to healthy foods and creating opportunities for physical fitness, you are helping to create a healthier future for our nation’s children.”
Five gold medals were awarded to Aurora for action taken to improve access to healthy affordable food and increase opportunities for physical activity. The city is ranked No. 1 in the country among the 522 communities participating.
“Although Colorado has the lowest adult obesity rate in the country, we are not doing that well with childhood obesity — the state is in 24th place,” Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan said in a statement. “That’s why these recognitions have a significant meaning: they represent the care and importance we put into making sure children in Aurora have access to adequate physical activity and healthy food and serves as a motivation to keep working on this issue.”
All Let’s Move! sites have the opportunity to earn up to five gold medals, one for each actionable goal to which they commit to as part of the initiative. Medals are awarded to local elected officials based on their achievements in each of the following five goal areas:
- Start Early, Start Smart: Promoting best practices for nutrition, physical activity, and screen time in early care and education settings.
- My Plate, Your Place: Prominently displaying MyPlate in all municipal or county venues where food is served.
- Smart Servings for Students: Expanding access to meal programs before, during and after the school day, and/or over summer months.
- Model Food Service: Implementing healthy and sustainable food service guidelines that are aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
- Active Kids at Play: Increasing opportunities for physical activity.
National League of Cities is working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and with the support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Association of Counties and other nonprofit organizations to assist local elected officials who join Let’s Move! as they implement policy and environmental changes to prevent childhood obesity. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded the league a grant to provide technical assistance to local elected officials working to create healthier communities and prevent childhood obesity, including those participating in Let’s Move!.
More than 500 cities, towns and counties are participating in the program, and 80 million Americans are now living in Let’s Move! communities. Each month, the league recognizes local elected officials who achieve key benchmarks for the five Let’s Move! goals. Since July 2012, the National League of Cities has awarded 3,294 bronze, silver, and gold medals to recognize local elected officials across the country for their Let’s Move! progress.
For more information, visit www.HealthyCommunitiesHealthyFuture.org.