In Plainfield, N.J., Mayor Adrian O. Mapp is working to combat childhood obesity through the city’s “Color Me Healthy” program. Last month at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Meeting, Mayor Mapp received second place in the small city division of the 2016 Childhood Obesity Prevention Awards for his outstanding program.

Plainfield, with a population close to 50,000, will receive a $25,000 grant from the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America to help in reaching more than 2,000 children, ages four and five, with the “Color Me Healthy” program. The program’s curriculum teaches children that healthy food and physical activity are fun by using color, music and exploration of the senses. A study conducted in 2012 demonstrated that children who received the “Color Me Healthy” curriculum significantly increased their consumption of fruit snacks and vegetable snacks with completion of the three-month program.

We salute the mayor of Plainfield for his efforts to tackle childhood obesity in his community. We also congratulate the other five recipients of the 2016 Childhood Obesity Prevention Awards. To read the full list of winners, click here.