Leadership for Healthy Communities

03/26/2015

The LHC program has officially closed. Thank you for your support. Be on the look out for a few final resources from us, including a retrospective report looking at the past 10 years of healthy eating and active living policies.

To stay up to date on the latest news follow the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Voices for Healthy Kids, PreventObesity.Net, MomsRising.org, Center for Global Policy Solutions.

03/19/2015

Our new policy brief examines how sugary drinks are affecting communities of color and provides strategies for reducing consumption.

http://www.leadershipforhealthycommunities.org/resource/sugary-drinks-in-communities-of-color-recent-research-and-policy-options-for-reducing-consumption/

This policy brief investigates sugary drink consumption in communities of color, focusing on the public health impact and marketing of such products, and policy options to facilitate healthy beverage consumption. It also discusses how decision makers can work to prevent childhood obesity and related…

03/12/2015

"According to the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut, sales of sugary drinks totaled $14.3 billion in 2013."

Clever marketing keeps parents buying high-sugar drinks, even though they're worried about them

03/04/2015

UPDATE: Due to the winter storm warning, we are postponing tomorrow's forum on Capitol Hill.

More information coming soon...

03/02/2015

There's still time to RSVP for Thursday's health equity forum on Capitol Hill. Join us from 8:45 - 11:00 a.m. to discuss strategies for eliminating health disparities & building healthier communities.

Featured speakers include Representative Marcia L. Fudge; Rep. Diane Black; Ginny Ehrlich from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and many more!

RSVP: bit.ly/LHCforum

02/25/2015

Join us Thursday, March 5 on Capitol Hill for a policy forum on public and private strategies to address health disparities and prevent childhood obesity.

RSVP: bit.ly/LHCforum

Leadership for Healthy Communities, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, invites you to attend a policy forum on public and private strategies to address health disparities and prevent childhood obesity. Childhood obesity rates are at epidemic proportions, with a disproportionat…

02/13/2015

"We know that if you are black, you are 21 percent more likely to die from heart disease than if you are white. If you live in the “Deep South,” your life is an average of three years shorter than if you live in other parts of the U.S. And if you live below the poverty line, you are 25 percent more likely than higher-income Americans to develop hypertension."

Health disparities affect the day-to-day experiences of individuals—and they threaten the prosperity and well-being of entire communities. But change is possible. Here’s a five-year plan.

02/05/2015

Today is National Girls & Women in Sports Day, a day to celebrate the achievements of women in sports. A day to debunk the myths that women aren’t interested in sports, or that girls can’t play as well as boys.

02/05/2015

JUST ANNOUNCED: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is committing $500 million over the next 10 years to help all children grow up at a healthy weight, no matter who they are or where they live.

We commend RWJF for dedicating more than $1 billion toward reversing the childhood obesity epidemic.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation dedicates an additional $500 million to helping all children grow up at a healthy weight. Building on an earlier commitment in 2007, RWJF will have dedicated $1 billion to reversing the childhood obesity epidemic.

02/03/2015

New LHC brief looks at how policies and programs to help youth be active—particularly through organized recreation and sports—can prevent childhood obesity and contribute to positive youth development.

Learn more: http://bit.ly/lhc_physicalactivity

01/29/2015

ICYMI, we hosted a webinar this week on . Watch the full webinar or download the presentations on our website:

Despite signs that the national childhood obesity rate may be leveling off, many of our most vulnerable youth including African-American, Latino, American Indian, Asian & Pacific Islander American, rural, and low-income children and teens remain disproportionally impacted by the epidemic. These…

01/22/2015

We didn't know what was wrong with my 12-year-old neighbor when his family first saw changes in his behavior. He lacked energy and was tired all the time.