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Citing the large number of obese children in the area, the Kane County Health Department has ramped up its fight against childhood obesity in recent years. This week, the department was rewarded for its efforts.
Kane County was awarded a four-year, $360,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to “improve opportunities for physical activity and access to affordable healthy foods for children and families in the county.” Of the 500 communities that applied, the county was one of 41 to receive the grant.
The department announced receiving the grant at a Tuesday morning news conference at the Kane County Government Center.
In 2008, the Health Department started the “Fit for Kids” initiative in response to the fact that one in six Kane County residents 18 and younger are obese. That statistic doubles for Kane’s Hispanic and African-American communities.
“It’s taken two-and-a-half decades to get into the shape that we are with this childhood obesity epidemic,” said Paul Kuehnert, Kane County Health Department director. “It’s going to take us a while to turn this around.”
A child born in 2000 in Kane County has a one-in-three chance of developing diabetes. Kuehnert said this is “shocking and unacceptable” and hopes Kane County will have an action plan in place by the fall for the next decade and beyond.
Kuehnert said at the end of February, the county will hold the Fit Kids 2020 Summit, to bring Kane County residents and officials together to “cast a vision of what this community is going to be like when we have reversed childhood obesity.”
Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay said the goal is now to make sure that Kane County residents are the healthiest in the state of Illinois.
“There is no doubt in my mind that we will achieve that goal,” McConnaughay said. “We always look forward, never backwards, and whatever problems we’re facing as a community today, we will (overcome) them.”
Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns, a member of the Fit for Kids coalition, said it’s difficult for policymakers to ensure the health of residents. However, he promised to make healthy choices for the community and himself, vowing to walk to City Hall for work.
Burns said this grant is especially important, because parents often follow their children’s lead.
“As go the kids, so goes the adults,” Burns said.
Batavia Mayor Jeffery Schielke, also a member of the Fit for Kids coalition, said he wants youth fitness to be a “badge of honor” for Kane County.
“This really ... is a major step forward in allowing Kane County to do something else that a lot of other counties aren’t doing,” Schielke said.
Kuehnert said reversing childhood obesity will be challenging, but the grant will help.
“We’re on the path,” Kuehnert said. “We have the resources and the will.”
Citing the large number of obese children in the area, the Kane County Health Department has ramped up its fight against childhood obesity in recent years. This week, the department was rewarded for its efforts.
Kane County was awarded a four-year, $360,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to “improve opportunities for physical activity and access to affordable healthy foods for children and families in the county.” Of the 500 communities that applied, the county was one of 41 to receive the grant.
The department announced receiving the grant at a Tuesday morning news conference at the Kane County Government Center.
In 2008, the Health Department started the “Fit for Kids” initiative in response to the fact that one in six Kane County residents 18 and younger are obese. That statistic doubles for Kane’s Hispanic and African-American communities.
“It’s taken two-and-a-half decades to get into the shape that we are with this childhood obesity epidemic,” said Paul Kuehnert, Kane County Health Department director. “It’s going to take us a while to turn this around.”
A child born in 2000 in Kane County has a one-in-three chance of developing diabetes. Kuehnert said this is “shocking and unacceptable” and hopes Kane County will have an action plan in place by the fall for the next decade and beyond.
Kuehnert said at the end of February, the county will hold the Fit Kids 2020 Summit, to bring Kane County residents and officials together to “cast a vision of what this community is going to be like when we have reversed childhood obesity.”
Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay said the goal is now to make sure that Kane County residents are the healthiest in the state of Illinois.
“There is no doubt in my mind that we will achieve that goal,” McConnaughay said. “We always look forward, never backwards, and whatever problems we’re facing as a community today, we will (overcome) them.”
Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns, a member of the Fit for Kids coalition, said it’s difficult for policymakers to ensure the health of residents. However, he promised to make healthy choices for the community and himself, vowing to walk to City Hall for work.
Burns said this grant is especially important, because parents often follow their children’s lead.
“As go the kids, so goes the adults,” Burns said.
Batavia Mayor Jeffery Schielke, also a member of the Fit for Kids coalition, said he wants youth fitness to be a “badge of honor” for Kane County.
“This really ... is a major step forward in allowing Kane County to do something else that a lot of other counties aren’t doing,” Schielke said.
Kuehnert said reversing childhood obesity will be challenging, but the grant will help.
“We’re on the path,” Kuehnert said. “We have the resources and the will.”
