PHA and the Season of Giving

Approximately 12.5 million kids in the United States have obesity, and about 11 million are overweight – that’s one in three children! As a result, the U.S. spends an estimated $190 billion in annual health care costs for obesity-related illness. Not only that, we’re raising the first generation with a shorter life expectancy than their parents! It’s a crisis by any measure.

But that’s where the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) comes in.

In 2010, the founders of PHA came together with the idea to transform the marketplace, so that the healthy choice would become the easy choice for American families. The best way to do this? By engaging the private sector to join us in this fight against childhood obesity. Six years and more than 225 partners later, we are proud to say PHA has accomplished a lot. Take a look around you and you may notice there are so many more healthier choices:

• Housing: More than 4,000 units of affordable housing are designed to promote healthy eating and active living.
• Marketplace: 6.4 million people living in communities with limited grocery options have been helped with the opening/expansion of 600 new or renovated stores.
• College campuses: More than 1 million students, faculty and staff on 38 campuses in 26 states are benefiting from healthier options.
• Convenience stores: More than 1,000 stores provide healthier products, which is definitely of importance to the one out of two Americans who visits a convenience store every day.
• Marketing: 7 out of 10 people bought or consumed more fruits and vegetables after seeing our signature campaign FNV.

But that doesn’t mean we can stop what we’re doing, or even pause to rest. PHA is committed to playing this important role for years to come, but we need your help.

As we move into this charitable season, consider PHA during this time of giving. If you are looking for ways to give more, give smarter, and celebrate the great American spirit of generosity through charitable contributions, contemplate how far we have come in the past six years and how much work there is still to be done to create a healthier environment for America’s youth.

Get the word out and inspire your friends, family and followers to do good this holiday season, and be sure to visit our Network for Good page to find out how you can help support us.