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Beaumont, Texas - The National League of Cities has recognized the City of Beaumont for the recent completion of key health and wellness goals for Let's Move! Cities, Towns and Counties. The LMCTC program is a major component of First Lady Michelle Obama's comprehensive Let's Move! initiative, which is dedicated to ending the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation.
Beaumont earned two gold and two silver medals in five categories for its actions to improve access to healthy, affordable food and increase opportunities for physical activity.
"The City of Beaumont can be a shining example of how the city government, the school district, hospitals, non-profits and the private sector can work together to solve any problem - especially this important healthcare issue - for our children," said Dr. Alan Coleman, Beaumont City Councilmember.
All LMCTC sites have the opportunity to earn up to five gold medals, one for each actionable goal they commit to as part of the initiative:
- Goal 1: Start Early, Start Smart: Promoting best practices for nutrition, physical activity, and screen time in early care and education settings (Beaumont earned Silver)
- Goal 2: My Plate, Your Place: Prominently displaying MyPlate in all municipal or county venues where food is served
- Goal 3: Smart Servings for Students: Increasing participation in school breakfast and lunch programs (Beaumont earned Silver)
- Goal 4: Model Food Service: Implementing healthy and sustainable food service guidelines that are aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (Beaumont earned Gold)
- Goal 5: Active Kids at Play:Increasing opportunities for physical activity (Beaumont earned Gold)
The National League of Cities (NLC) is the lead collaborating partner on this initiative, working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Association of Counties, and other nonprofit organizations, in helping local elected officials implement policy and environmental changes to prevent childhood obesity. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded NLC a grant to provide technical assistance to local elected officials working to create healthier communities and prevent childhood obesity, including sites participating in LMCTC.
"Local elected officials play a critical role in addressing childhood obesity in our country and communities, and we commend those leaders being recognized for their achievements in taking action to improve healthy eating and physical activity in their communities," said NLC President Marie Lopez Rogers, Mayor of Avondale, Ariz.
More than 175 cities, towns and counties are participating in LMCTC. To date, NLC has awarded 625 medals to local elected officials across the country, recognizing these leaders for their progress in adopting long-term, sustainable, and holistic policies that improve communities' access to healthy affordable food and opportunities for physical activity. In November 2012 in Boston, NLC announced its first medal recipients. Each month forward, NLC is recognizing local elected officials who are achieving the LMCTC benchmarks by taking action to reduce childhood obesity.
For more information about LMCTC and the City of Beaumont's accomplishments, visit www.healthycommunitieshealthyfuture.org. The National League of Cities is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. Working in partnership with the 49 state municipal leagues, NLC serves as a resource to and an advocate for the more than 19,000 cities, villages and towns it represents. For more information on the National League of Cities, visit www.nlc.org.
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