Colleges and Universities Across the Nation Celebrate PHA’s Healthy Campus Week September 25 – October 1
WASHINGTON, D.C. ( September 25, 2017) – Today, Partnership for A Healthier America (PHA) launched its third annual Healthy Campus Week as part of its Healthier Campus Initiative (HCI), a national effort to ensure college students have access to healthier environments during a time of profound change – a time when new habits are formed.
Today through October 1, PHA, along with Healthy Campus Week sponsors, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) and Target, will support campus partners as they create opportunities for students, faculty and staff to participate in on-campus fitness and wellness events, contests and more.
“For thousands of college students across the nation, it’s the first time they are making their own choices about food and lifestyle,” said Nancy Roman, PHA President & CEO. “Given the health disparities research of first year college students, institutions of higher learning have the moral responsibility to create campus environments that encourage and support greater physical activity and healthier eating habits of students - our next generation of leaders.”
Overweight and obesity rates increase by more than 15 percent for first year college students. According to a study published in 2014 in the journal Preventive Medicine, 95 percent fail to eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables and more than 60 percent report not getting enough physical activity.
Each HCI campus partner has committed to meeting 23 of 41 guidelines within three years. PHA developed these guidelines in collaboration with some of the nation’s leading nutrition, physical activity and campus wellness experts.
To date, HCI includes more than 50 colleges and universities, across 29 states and the District of Columbia, impacting more than 1.3 million students faculty, and staff.
Eight new HCI partners were announced at PHA’s annual Building a Healthier Future Summit. PHA is also proud to recognize University of Colorado Boulder as its newest campus partner.
To find out more about HCI, visit www.ahealthieramerica.org/campuses.
The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is devoted to working with the private sector to ensure the health of our nation’s youth by solving the childhood obesity crisis. In 2010, PHA was created in conjunction with – but independent from – Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! effort. PHA is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that is led by some of the nation’s most respected health and childhood obesity experts. PHA brings together public, private and nonprofit leaders to broker meaningful commitments and develop strategies to end childhood obesity. Most importantly, PHA ensures that commitments made are commitments kept by working with unbiased, third parties to monitor and publicly report on the progress our partners are making. For more information about PHA, please visit www.aHealthierAmerica.org and follow PHA on Twitter @PHAnews.
CONTACT
Toni Carey, Partnership for a Healthier America
Office: 703-625-6057
tcarey@ahealthieramerica.org
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