Over the past seven years through the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF) I have met people around the country in communities, at non-profit organizations and companies who are working to fight childhood obesity and change the outlook of a generation. I have had the privilege of traveling to schools, meeting teachers, parents, principals and community leaders who are local champions implementing healthy, active lifestyle strategies to positively impact the lives of those around them. I have also worked with people from companies that represent some of the world’s most recognized brands as they drove to create more lower-calorie options so people could make the best choice for their families. This has allowed me to see first-hand what can happen when a group of diverse stakeholders come together for a common goal. I am honored to continue the Foundation’s mission as Executive Director to help reduce obesity – especially childhood obesity – by encouraging positive and permanent lifestyle changes among school-aged children and their families.
The efforts are beginning to pay off. However, there is still much work to be done. Toward that end, I’m pleased to share that we’ve partnered with National 4-H Council, the nation’s largest youth development organization, to develop and cross-promote healthy lifestyle content and curricula for school-aged children and their families. To date, Together Counts™ – our award-winning curriculum developed and distributed in collaboration with Discovery Education – has reached more than 34 million students, from pre-K through 5th grade.
Our newly updated curriculum is available now. Free to families, communities, and schools, Together Counts: Healthy Decisions, Healthy Habits supports the government’s latest dietary guidelines. It is also aligned with national education standards and provides teachers and students with easy-to-understand tools and information to help students and their families adopt healthy diets and active lifestyles.
Also, we’ve updated our HWCF website. The new look reflects our clear objectives, many achievements, and ongoing programs in support of families and schools. I look forward to connecting with you, our members and partners, through these monthly posts and you’re always welcome to contact us.
It is my great pleasure to work with you and to lead the dedicated HWCF team. Here’s to building on our successes and all that we will achieve together.
— Becky