Yesterday, the City of Lima, Ohio, introduced its partners for its Healthy Living Hubs childhood obesity prevention program.  Lima was one of six cities that was awarded a 2012 Childhood Obesity Prevention grant from the U.S. Conference of Mayors last month.

The awards are the result of a partnership between the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the American Beverage Association. Grants went to cities with outstanding programs that focus on educating children and families about the importance of balancing calories and engaging in regular physical activity as ways to achieve a healthy, active and balanced lifestyle.

Finishing first in the small cities category, Lima received support for three selected neighborhoods that are high poverty food deserts, according to a U.S. Conference of Mayors news release. Children and families living in and around these hubs will be provided with fitness classes, access to fresh produce via a mobile produce program, nutrition classes and more.  Mayor David Berger worked with the Lima Family YMCA to develop an initiative that would address the nutrition and health needs in the community.

Check out this article from The Lima News, and let us know what you think!

Our industry is proud to support initiatives such as this one in Lima, Ohio.  Our partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors builds upon long-standing work by our industry to be part of meaningful solutions to help reduce obesity by supporting nutrition education for children, strengthening communities and empowering consumers.  It’s another public-private partnership dedicated to making a real difference.