Reshaping Our Communities, Reclaiming Our Health

Reshaping Our Communities, Reclaiming Our Health

African Americans Define Strategies for Healthy Kids and Healthy Neighborhoods

Leadership forHealthy CommunitiesAdvancing Policies to SupportHealthy Eating and Active Living

This document is the result of a one-day strategy session co-hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF) and Leadership for Healthy Communities. CBCF was instrumental in bringing African-American leaders from all over the nation to participate in the event. The content of this document is derived from the event's proceedings. Leadership for Healthy Communities authored the report, which was made possible with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Reshaping Our Communities, Reclaiming Our Health 1

Co-hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and Leadership for Healthy Communities, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, meeting participants engaged in a day-long strategy session where they identified and discussed potential options for supporting healthy children and healthy communities.

Participants were drawn together with the common purpose of brainstorming solutions to reduce obesity in the African-American community.

This document outlines some of the priorities, recommendations and areas of consensus raised by participants. It is intended to inform policy-makers, community-based organization leaders, foundations, the media and other relevant audiences about the overweight and obesity epidemic in the African-American community and the need for sustainable strategies to reverse the crisis.

A full list of the participants and their organizational affiliations are below.

Participants

The following individuals participated in the June 5–6 meeting in Washington, D.C. It is their collective recommendations that comprise the body of this report.

Leon AndrewsProgram DirectorNational League of CitiesInstitute for Youth, Education, and Families

Kathryn BertramCommunications DirectorLeadership for Healthy Communities

African Americans for Healthy CommunitiesOn June 5–6, 2008, 47 researchers, policy-makers and leaders from community-

based organizations, professional associations and businesses gathered in

Washington, D.C. to discuss the childhood obesity epidemic and strategies for

reversing the trend in the African-American community.

Wesley L. Boykin Ph.D., MPHDirector Research and Development InstituteNational Alliance of Black School Educators

Diane Brown, Ph.D.Executive DirectorUMDNJ School of Public HealthInstitute for the Elimination of Health Disparities

Shirley Brown-Ornish, M.D.Senior PlannerPrince George's County Health Department

Robert D. Bullard, Ph.D.DirectorEnvironmental Justice Resource CenterClark Atlanta University

Judith BurrellPrincipalBurrell Project Consult, LLC

Sandy Carpenter-Stevenson, Ed.D.Regional CoordinatorCalifornia Gear Up OaklandNational Alliance of Black School Educators

Patricia CarterSenior AdvisorUnited States Conference of Mayors

Candice Cason, M.Ed.Director of Addiction and Mental HealthPrince George's County Health Department


The Honorable Donna ChristensenDelegate (VI)U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable Brenda Clack1st Vice Chair (MI)Michigan House of RepresentativesNational Black Caucus of State Legislators

The Honorable Michael DavisPlan Commissioner Dallas City Plan Commission

Mary Grant, Ed.D.Principal DCPS Takoma Educational Center National Alliance of Black School Educators

LaRuth Gray, Ph.D.Deputy Director Metropolitan Center for Urban EducationNew York UniversityNational Alliance of Black School Educators

The Honorable Melony GriffithDelegatePrince George's County Maryland

Riley Harris, M.B.A.Managing PartnerBlackstone Promotions and Advertising Group, LLC Barbara J. Hatcher, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.N. DirectorCenter for Learning & Global Public HealthThe American Public Health Association

Liz HumphreyProjects ManagerNational Organization of Black County Officials

Marjorie Innocent, Ph.D.Director of Research and ProgramsCongressional Black Caucus Foundation

Nicole Jarrett, Ph.D.Director of Health Policy ResearchW. Montague Cobb/NMA Health InstituteNational Medical Association

The Honorable Lewis JohnsonCity CouncilmemberNational Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials

Michelle Klink, Ph.D.Senior AdvisorLeadership for Healthy Communities

Vikki C. Lassiter, M.S.DirectorAfrican American Collaborative Obesity Research NetworkSchool of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Atiba MadyunDivision DirectorNational Black Caucus of State Legislators

Laura Ojeda, M.P.H. Deputy Program DirectorLeadership for Healthy Communities

Ruth Perot, M.A.T.Co-founder and Executive DirectorSummit Health Institute for Research and Education, Inc.

Dwayne Proctor, Ph.D.Senior Program OfficerChildhood Obesity Team LeaderRobert Wood Johnson Foundation

Bianca PullenBill Emerson National Hunger FellowJoint Center for Political and Economic Studies

The Honorable Usie Richards2nd Vice Chair (VI)Legislature of the Virgin Islands

Maya Rockeymoore, Ph.D.Program DirectorLeadership for Healthy CommunitiesPresident and CEOGlobal Policy Solutions

Victor Rubin, Ph.D.Vice President for ResearchPolicyLink

Lloyd Sain, Jr., Ed.D.Director Leadership and Secondary Teacher DevelopmentNational Alliance of Black School Educators

Elsie Scott, Ph.D.President and CEOCongressional Black Caucus Foundation

Barb SecklerDirectorThe Institute for Active Living Columbus Public Health


Amy Slonim, Ph.D.RWJF Health Group ConsultantRobert Wood Johnson Foundation

Byron Sogie-ThomasDirector of Health PolicyNational Medical Association

Crystal SwannAssistant Executive DirectorUnited States Conference of Mayors

The Honorable Barbara Swearengen-WareCouncilmember City of MemphisNational Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials

Makani Themba-NixonExecutive DirectorThe Praxis Project/PATH

Gina Villani, M.D., M.P.H.Vice President of Health and Quality of LifeNational Urban League

The Honorable James WallsMayorDistrict Heights Maryland

The Honorable J.C. WattsFormer Member of CongressU.S. House of RepresentativesFounder and ChairmanJ.C. Watts Companies

Jerome D. Williams, Ph.D.F. J. Heyne Centennial ProfessorUniversity of Texas at Austin

The Honorable Levoyd L. WilliamsCouncilmemberCity of Lauderdale LakesNational Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials

Nsedu Obot WitherspoonExecutive DirectorChildren’s Environmental Health Network

Beverly Wright, Ph.D. Founder and Executive DirectorDeep South Center for Environmental Justice at Dillard University



Executive Summary

Where you live is vital to how well you live. That is why it is essential to address

barriers in the community setting that undermine health and wellness. A

growing body of research has documented that African Americans live in

communities that are less likely to have parks, green spaces, walking/biking

trails, swimming pools, or beaches (Powell et al. 2004). African-American

neighborhoods also have less access to commercial physical activity outlets

such as physical fitness facilities, sports clubs, dance facilities, and golf courses

(Powell et al. 2006). These disparities suggest that environments without a

supportive infrastructure contribute to poor health.

African-American and low-income neighborhoods also have less access to full-service supermarkets with fresh fruits and vegetables (Morland 2002). The poor food environment is exacerbated by an abundance of fast-food restaurants serving high-calorie meals of low nutritional value (Lewis et al. 2005).

The food and physical activity environment among other factors have contributed to the burgeoning overweight and obesity epidemic among African Americans.

Between 1986 and 1998, the prevalence of overweight increased by more than 120 percent among African-American children, compared with more than 50 percent among white children (Strauss and Pollack 2001).

African-American adults are also affected. Sixty-seven percent of African-American men are overweight or obese—a figure on par with the national rate—and 79.5 percent of African-American women—about four out of every five black women—are categorized as either overweight or obese. With obesity-related illnesses like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and hypertension disproportionately hitting the African-American community, the health consequences of overweight and obesity are steep.

In recognition of this growing crisis, researchers, policy-makers, and leaders from community-based organizations, professional associations and businesses across the

country gathered in Washington, D.C. to discuss the childhood, adolescent and adult obesity epidemic and strategies for reversing the trend in the African-American community.

Meeting participants offered a variety of recommendations about what schools, communities, families, the media, and businesses can do to help prevent obesity. A sample of the proposed strategies included:

• Makingphysicalactivityinschoolsmandatoryandproviding tools to help schools integrate physical activity throughout the school day.

• Creatingtaxandotherincentivestoimproveresidents’access to amenities (e.g., supermarkets, complete sidewalks) that support health and wellness.

• Engagingfaith-andcommunity-basedorganizationsas well as public and private entities and volunteers in community wellness initiatives.

• Creatingamediaandmarketingcampaignthatleveragesyouth social networking to advance health and wellness.

• Creatingascorecardthatevaluatescorporateeffortsto support health and wellness in African-American communities.

The recommendations in this report provide essential action strategies for African-American communities seeking to close health disparities and improve the quality of life for their residents.


Introduction

Results from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition andExaminationSurveyshowthat66percentofallAmerican adults are either overweight or obese. The survey reports that 67 percent of African-American men are overweight or obese—a figure on par with the national rate—and 79.5 percent of African-American women—about four out of every five black women—are categorized as either overweight or obese. Compared to men and women of other racial and ethnic groups, African-American women have the highest rates of overweight and obesity in the nation.

During the past four decades, overweight and obesity rates have also soared among all young people and especially among children and adolescents of color (Crawford et al. 2001).

Between 1986 and 1998, the prevalence of overweight increased by more than 120 percent among African-American and Hispanic children, compared with more than 50 percent among white children (Strauss and Pollack 2001). Currently, 34.9 percent of African-American children ages 2-19 are obese or overweight, compared with 31.9 percent of all children in this age category (Ogden et al. 2008). As suggested by the rates of adult black women, adolescent African-American girls are particularly susceptible to weight gain (Ogden et al. 2008).

National statistics confirm what many families observe on a daily basis: African-American children, adolescents and adults suffer disproportionately from obesity. Unfortunately, many do not understand why some communities are at greater risk for obesity than others. Until recently, the national dialogue has placed personal responsibility at thecenterofthediscourseonAmerica’sweightproblem.

However, emerging evidence suggests that there are a variety of policy and environmental factors that contribute to the skyrocketing epidemic in the African-American community.

Consequences

Alarmingly high rates of overweight and obesity among African Americans come at a steep human price— increased risk for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, stroke, certain kinds of cancer and many other debilitating diseases.

In addition, childhood obesity statistics suggest that illness, disability and early death will increase in the future if nothing is done to reverse the trend. African-American children already are being diagnosed with health problems that were considered to be adult illnesses. One in two African-American children are expected to develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetimes (Bindler and Bruya 2006). As a result, many experts are predicting that we are raising the first generation of children to live sicker and die younger than their parents.

Causes

Asasociety,we’vedramaticallyalteredthewaywelive,eat work and play—creating an environment that fuels the obesity epidemic. Too many of us do not have a healthy “energybalance.”Inotherwords,we’retakinginfarmorecalories than we burn, which leads to unhealthy weight gain.

Prevalence

The obesity epidemic cuts across all categories of race, ethnicity, family income

and locale, but some populations are at higher risk than others. Low-income

individuals, African Americans, Latinos and those living in the Southern part of

the United States are among those affected more than their peers.


A growing body of evidence is pointing to factors in the physical activity, food and social environments that show that African-American adults and children are also at risk for obesity because of where they live.

Like many Americans, African-American children, adolescents and adults do not engage in enough physical activity to burn off the excess amount of calories they consume.

A growing body of research has documented that residents living in predominantly African-American and low-income communities also have structurally fewer opportunities for physical activity.

African Americans live in communities that are less likely to have parks, green spaces, walking/biking trails, swimming pools, or beaches (Powell et al. 2004). African-American neighborhoods also have less access to commercial physical activity outlets such as physical fitness facilities, sports clubs, dance facilities, and golf courses (Powell et al. 2006). These disparities suggest that environments without a supportive infrastructure limit AfricanAmericans’abilitytoengageinphysicalactivityandnegativelyimpacttheirhealth(Estabrooksetal.2003).

AfricanAmericans’perceptionsoftheirphysicalenvironments also influence their activity levels. Thirty-one percent of African-American parents cite a lack of available opportunities as a barrier to physical activity compared with only 13 percent of white parents (Duke et al. 2003). Additionally, research shows that African Americans are more likely to perceive of their neighborhoods as less safe and less pleasant for physical activity than whites (Boslaugh et al. 2006).

The food environment is another factor influencing overweight and obesity among African-American children and adults.

In some communities, parents have limited food choices becausetheydon’thavealocalsupermarket.Astudyof close to 700 neighborhoods found that minority and racially-mixed communities have access to half as many supermarkets as white neighborhoods and twice as many small grocery stores. Low-income areas have access to half as many supermarkets as wealthy areas and four times as many small grocery stores (Moore and Roux 2006).

For African Americans, research has shown that access to supermarkets can be particularly beneficial and has a


significant association with lower obesity rates and body mass indices for nearby residents (Powell et al. 2007a).

The poor food environment in predominantly African-American and low-income neighborhoods is exacerbated by the abundance of fast-food restaurants serving high-calorie meals of low nutritional value. One study of the availability of healthy food choices in south Los Angeles found that lower-income neighborhoods with higher concentrations of African Americans had greater number of restaurants with unhealthy food options (Lewis et al. 2005).

The social environment is another factor contributing to disproportionate rates of overweight and obesity among African Americans. Like the general population, physical activity among African-American children and adolescents has declined with the increased use of television, video games and computers (Roberts et al. 2005).

In addition, research has found that African-American households watch more television—75 hours of television per week compared to 52 hours for white households—and may be more susceptible to the influence of unhealthy food marketing (Tirodkar and Jain 2003).

In fact, new research shows that targeted marketing of high-calorie foods and beverages may overexpose African-American consumers to unhealthy messages around eating and provide them with limited access to healthy food relative to whites or the general population. The study also indicated that the overall effect of current marketing strategies may contribute to the significantly higher rates of obesity among African Americans than in whites (Grier and Kumanyika 2008).

It has long been established that adolescents who watch more television have a higher prevalence of obesity and “superobesity” (Dietz 1985). But what many may not realize is that African-American children are exposed to 14 percent more food advertisements than their comparable peers (Powell 2007b). Another study found that the television stations most watched by African-American youth had significantly more unhealthy food and beverage advertisements but received few messages with content related to health or physical activity (Outley and Tadesse 2006).


Schools

Children and teens spend about seven hours of every weekday in educational settings during the school year, and they consume an estimated 35 percent to 50 percent of their daily calories during the average school day (Neumark-Sztainer et al 2005). Considering the impact that theschoolenvironmentcanhaveonastudent’shealthand development, it offers an ideal opportunity to improve students’accessandexposuretohealthyeatingandactiveliving. Policy and program recommendations supporting this approach included:

• Developinganage-appropriate,healtheducationcurriculum that focuses on wellness and nutrition.

• Limitingaccesstounhealthycompetitivefoodsandincreasing access to nutritious foods and drinks in the cafeteria and in vending machines.

• Offeringphysicaleducationclassesbasedonhighcommon standards.

• Makingphysicalactivityinschoolsmandatoryandprovide tools to help schools integrate physical activity throughout the school day.

• Benchmarkingstudentbodymassindex(BMI).• Implementingandenforcingschoolandlocalwellness

policies that support healthy eating and physical activity in schools and surrounding areas.

• Creatingconnectionswithcommunityorganizationsandbusinesses that can support student wellness (e.g., farm-to-school programs).

• DevelopingaBMIawardsprogramthatrecognizesschools that demonstrate significant improvement in the body weight of their students.

Policy and Program RecommendationsPolicy-makers at the local, state and national levels have significant influence

in shaping the environments where children live, learn and play. The strategies

identified by meeting participants leaned heavily towards the policy changes

needed to promote healthy eating and physical activity in schools, communities,

businesses, families and the media. Participants also highlighted promising

obesity prevention programs, research and advocacy strategies for

African Americans.

• Coordinatingeducationandhealthpolicyinamannerthatsupportsthedevelopmentofchildren’sminds and bodies.

Communities

Where you live is vital to how well you live. The quality and accessibility of the roads, sidewalks, stores, houses, parks and other resources can become important factors in strengthening community health and wellness. Can children and adults walk or bike to desirable destinations? Isthecommunity’sphysicalinfrastructuresupportiveof healthy eating and active living? Are the necessary amenities in place to advance wellness? Suggestions on how to create healthier communities included:

Policies

• Supportingfederal,stateandlocallawsthatgenerate funding for community redevelopment and enhancements to community infrastructure.

• Creatingtaxandotherincentivestoimproveaccesstonecessities such as supermarkets and complete streets.

• Increasingtheamountofgreenspaceavailableinunderserved communities that can be used for physical activity and play.

• Enforcingnon-discriminationlawsinhousing,transitand equal access to green space and other community amenities.

• Workingwithstateandlocalauthoritiestoestablishzoning laws and model ordinances that enhance access to healthy eating and active living opportunities.


• Improvingsafetybyincreasingpolicesupportinunderserved areas and providing more funds to support community policing.

• Ensuringcommunityinvolvementinthedevelopmentofpublic policies.

• ReinforcingthemessagethatAfricanAmericanshavea right to have access to neighborhood amenities that support health and wellness.

Programs

• Establishingcommunitygardenstosupportaccesstoaffordable healthy foods.

• Connectingwithfaith-andcommunity-basedorganizations to leverage their facilities and related resources.

• Developingpublic-privatepartnershipsthatsupportefforts such as the creation of child-focused fitness centers and nutrition and fitness programs connected to schools and universities.

• Adoptingasustainablecommunitymodel(e.g.,HarlemChildren’sZone,HolyCrossneighborhoodinNewOrleans) that supports community wellness.

Research

• Creatinga“followthedollars”communitymappingproject that tracks public investments in schools, parks, hospitals and other neighborhood amenities for the purpose of identifying disparities in the allocation of infrastructure support.

• Establishingastudythatdevelopsbenchmarksandother indicators to measure the quality and quantity of changes in the built environment.

• Fundinghealthyeatingandactivelivingresearchathistorically black colleges and universities.

• Investigatingtherootcausesofracialandethnicdisparities.

The Family & Cultural Environment

Families and the culture that surrounds them are essential to supporting healthy children, adolescents and adults. The habits, practices and attitudes of immediate and extended families often shape the habits and practices of children and adolescents. These influences have direct implications for healthy eating and active living. Recommendations in this area included:

• Establishingcommunity-basedwellnessinitiativesthat: •provideeducationandactivityoptions; •considertheinterests,likesanddislikesofvarious

ages,races/ethnicitiesandclasses; •incorporatecommunityandbuiltenvironmentoptions,

including community gardens, farmers markets, food co-ops,andaccessibleexercise/playfacilities;and,

•addressfoodchoices,access,affordabilityandpreparation methods.

• Encouragingflexibleprogramoptionsthattaketheneedsof single parents into account.

• Engagingfaith-andcommunity-basedorganizationsaswell as public and private entities and volunteers.

• Developingcommunityneedsassessmentsthatevaluatethe needs of children and adolescents and providing a roadmap for public investments needed to support youth.

• Supportingfundingforfamilyandcommunity-basedwellness programs.

• Researchingthesocio-culturaldeterminantsofhealthasthey pertain to the obesity epidemic in African-American communities.

• Establishingevaluationplansthatbenchmarkandevaluate the effectiveness of wellness initiatives.

Media

Considering the ubiquity of media in our daily lives, strategies to encourage large-scale policy and environmental changes must leverage appropriate media outlets to promote positive messages about the importance of nutrition and physical activity. Participants recommended the following approaches.

• Creatingamediaandmarketingcampaignthatleveragesyouth social networking to advance health and wellness.


• Designingacampaignmessagethatreframestheobesityepidemic in a manner that attracts African-American youth and encourages them to make healthier choices when they are available.

• Creatingamediamessagethatestablishesaccesstohealthy foods as a human right and reframes obesity as a consequence of environmental inequities—not just a personal choice.

• Developingscorecardsevaluatinghowtelevisionandradio broadcasters and other media outlets market food, beverages and physical activity (or the lack thereof) to children and adolescents.

• Encouragingthedevelopmentofculturally-relevanthealthy gaming software.

• Requestingthatmediaoutletsemployfeaturedocumentaries or movies to illustrate the nature of the obesity problem and solutions.

Business

Businesses play a vital role in the health and well-being of entire communities. Through the marketing of their services and products, businesses influence food choices, work and leisure activities and even community and individual self-perceptions. Because businesses are located

at the center of communities and often engage in activities beneficial to the communities they serve, they can also be important partners in promoting health and wellness. Suggestions for engaging businesses included:

• Developingcorporatewellnessprogramsthateducateand support adults in their efforts to achieve a healthy BMI for themselves and their children.

• Workingwithcompaniestoestablishhealthymarketingcampaigns in the African-American community.

• Encouragingcompaniestodevelopconvenientmealsthatare healthy.

• Creatingascorecardthatevaluatescorporateeffortsto support health and wellness in African-American communities.

• Engagingminority-ownedbusinessesandblackchambers of commerce in the effort to create and support healthy communities.

• Involvingsportsteams,sportsmediaoutlets,corporatesponsors and the non-profit and public sectors in a common effort to combat obesity.

• Workingwithhealthcareproviderstoensurethattheyprovide educational opportunities and institutional environments that support healthy eating and active living.



Advocacy recommendations included:

• Developingatargetedadvocacycampaignthatadvancespolicies to support healthy children and healthy communities. The concept that health is a human right should be central to the campaign message.

• Trainingandeducatingadvocatesaboutthelegislativeprocess and how to develop working relationships with policy-makers.

• Collaboratingwithbusinesses,chambersofcommerce,community-based, faith-based and civil rights organizations to expand and improve options for healthy eating, active living and preventative healthcare services.

• Workingwithpolicy-makersateachlevelofgovernmentto develop legislation and regulations to advance healthy eating and active living opportunities (e.g., tax incentives, zoning laws, Community Reinvestment Act).

• Creatingapolicy-makerhonorrollthatrecognizespolicyleaders who do exceptional work on behalf of children and communities.

• Identifyinganddisseminatingmodelpoliciesandpracticesthat can advance healthy eating and active living.

Community Advocacy

Beyond public policy, there are things that communities themselves can do to help advance the strategies and recommendations outlined in this document.

Recommendations in this area included:

• Developingastorybankthatillustratestheexperiencesand perspectives of African- American children and communities.

What’s Next? Action StrategiesPolicy Advocacy

Public policy is a lever that has the power to create and support changes on a

large scale. That is why it is essential for African-American leaders, advocates

and citizens to engage and inform the public policy process. By sharing their

concerns, providing information and discussing desired outcomes, these actors

can help direct vital resources to support healthy African-American children

and communities.

• EngagingAfrican-Americanmediaoutlets(e.g.NationalNewspaperPublishersAssociation,BlackEntertainmentTelevision, Black America Web) in the effort to promote healthy communities and kids.

• Developingcommontalkingpointsforgroupparticipantsand others to use when discussing this issue.

• Creatingablogforumtopromotechildhoodobesityprevention.

• Gettingyoungpeopleinvolvedintheefforttoreshapetheir communities.

• Encouragingthecreationofobesitypreventionconferences and summits in African-American communities across the country.

• Askingcivilrightsorganizations,community-basedorganizations, faith-based organizations, sororities and fraternities to create links to this document on their web sites.

• Cultivatinganarmyofmessengersincludingyouthspokespersons, researchers, organizational leaders and celebrity champions from the music/Hip Hop, movie and television worlds and feature these messengers at community summits and in media campaigns.

• EstablishingastrongAfrican-Americanpresenceinthegrowing anti-obesity movement.

• Distributingthisstrategiesdocumenttopolicy-makers,local and national organizations, funders, food and beverage companies, national associations, African-American professional organizations, youth councils and the media.

• Writingarticlesandop-edspromotingtheneedtoimplement strategies that encourage healthy eating and active living.



Given the stark health disparities that many African Americans face, it is crucial that community leaders, policy-makers and others recognize this problem as a national health crisis and prioritize the implementation of solutions for preventing obesity.

The good news is that we are constantly learning more about how to address disparities in the built environment that undermine our health and we are learning more about what laws and programs need to be established or enforced to support African-American health and wellness.

The recommendations in this report provide a roadmap for African Americans who want to improve the quality of life in their communities. While it will take collaboration, innovation and sustained effort to implement many of the recommendations suggested, the effort will be worthwhile because the health of our children and the well-being of our communities are at stake.

Conclusion

Everyperson,organizationandlevelofgovernmenthasaroletoplayin

reversing the obesity epidemic and supporting community health and wellness.

The latest statistics demonstrate that the obesity epidemic has spiraled out of

control in the African-American community.

Leadership for Healthy Communities is a nonpartisan organization that supports local and state government leaders nationwide in their efforts to reduce childhood obesity through public policies that promote active living, healthy eating and access to healthy foods. We focus, in particular, on policy efforts that can increase physical activity and improve nutrition among children at the highest risk for obesity—African-American, Latino, Native American, Asian American and Pacific Islander children living in low-income communities. Leadership for Healthy Communities is a $10 million national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the efforts we fund are expected to help the Foundation achieve its goal of reversing the childhood obesity epidemic by 2015.

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation was established in 1976 as a nonpartisan, non-profit, public policy, research and educational institute intended to broaden and elevate the influence of African Americans in the political, legislative and public policy arenas. Toward that end, CBCF seeks to educate future leaders and promote collaboration among legislators, business leaders, minority-focused organizational leaders and others to achieve positive and sustainable change in the African-American community.


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References

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Documents

Reshaping Our Communities, Reclaiming Our Health