2014 Media Releases

Date:

October 2, 2014

For More Information Contact:

Charlotte Burke, Health Department, 402-441-8011

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Lincoln is a Top-Rated Let's Move! City

Mayor Chris Beutler today announced that the National League of Cities (NLC) has recognized Lincoln as one of 16 top-rated communities among the 454 participating in the Let's Move! Cities, Towns and Counties (LMCTC) initiative. Lincoln was recognized for achieving key health and wellness goals. The initiative is a major component of First Lady Michelle Obama's comprehensive Let's Move! initiative, which is dedicated to solving the childhood obesity epidemic. The City will be recognized November 20 at an NLC event in Austin, Texas.

"This recognition is a testament to the great collaborative public health work under way in Lincoln," said Mayor Beutler. "I want to thank our local Health Department for working with businesses, educational institutions, health care facilities, non-profits and other City agencies to keep our residents healthy."

LMCTC focuses on five key goals to prevent childhood obesity, and each one has associated bronze, silver and gold benchmarks for cities to reach. In addition to being ranked in the top category, Lincoln is the first city in the five-state region to receive gold medals for all five goals:

1. Start Early, Start Smart - Promote best practices for nutrition, physical activity and screen time in early care and educational settings.
2. My Plate, Your Place - Prominently display MyPlate in all municipal or county venues where food is served.
3. Smart Servings for Students - Expand access to meal programs before, during and after the school day and/or summer months.
4. Model Food Service - Implementing healthy and sustainable food service guidelines aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
5. Active Kids at Play - Increasing opportunities for physical activity.

"We congratulate and commend Lincoln for their efforts to improve the health of their community's children and families," said NLC President Chris Coleman, Mayor of St. Paul, MN. "Through the leadership and dedication of local elected officials in cities, towns and counties across the country, we are beginning to see a measurable decrease in obesity rates and a cultural shift towards health."

To help maintain the recent achievements, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) was recently awarded a two-year continuation grant from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services - Title V / Maternal and Child Health Program. This will allow LLCHD's local 5-4-3-2-1 GO!® Team to unite with Lincoln's Let's Move! and Playful Cities USA initiatives to support efforts to continue to decrease childhood obesity.

The National League of Cities is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans. For more information, visit HealthyCommunitiesHealthyFuture.org.