Bush Administration Provides Over $36 Million To Promote Healthier LIfestyles for Nation's Children

Release No. 0418.04

Contact: Ed Loyd (202) 720-4623
Susan Acker (703) 305-2286

Bush Administration Provides Over $36 Million To Promote Healthier Lifestyles for Nation's Children
Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman Announces $2.8 million for Minnesota

WOODBURY, Minn., Sept. 28, 2004-As part of the Bush Administration's efforts to promote good nutrition and physical activity in children as part of the President's HealthierUS Initiative, top officials are visiting schools across the country today to underscore the Bush Administration's commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles for children.

Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman, visiting Gordon Bailey Elementary School here, announced over $2.8 million in grants for efforts in Minnesota. The grants are part of over $36 million in grants offered by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education.

"Promoting healthier lifestyles is a top priority for President Bush," Veneman said. "These grants will help school districts and communities provide nutrition education, promote physical activity, provide preventive health screenings and assist in the avoidance of risky behaviors to include tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs."

In addition to Secretary Veneman's visit, Education Secretary Rod Paige and Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, as well as Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Julie Gerberding are visiting schools to promote programs to teach children about nutritious choices and physical activity.

The Minnesota Department of Health, in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services, will utilize $1.5 million to implement programs in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Wilmar County to support and promote daily physical activity, nutrition education and anti-smoking programs. In addition, Hopkins, Moorhead, Nevis and Virginia school districts and Carver-Scott schools in Chaska will receive a total of $1.3 million in federal grants from the Department of Education to help their students become more active and meet state standards for physical education.

"Bringing students, parents and school faculty together to promote balanced diets and healthier lifestyles is important as we look at more aggressive ways to fight childhood obesity and increase fruit and vegetable consumption in America," said Veneman.

"Our goal is to work together in partnership with local communities and schools to improve the health and educational performance of children through better nutrition and physical activity."

Launched in June 2001 by President Bush, HealthierUS is a health and fitness initiative that promotes increased physical activity, the consumption of nutritious foods, regular preventive health screenings and the avoidance of any risky behaviors, especially involving alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. This initiative brings together many federal agency health promotion activities. For example, the Healthier Children and Youths Initiative builds on the HealthierUS Initiative and is a joint U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Education effort to encourage all children and youth to adopt healthy eating and physical activity behaviors.

The USDA supports the Healthier US Initiative through its nutrition education activities throughout various agencies including the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, the Food and Nutrition Service which administers the Food Stamp Program, Child Nutrition Programs (including the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs), and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and through extension activities administered by the Cooperative, State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES).

For more information about the President's Healthier US Initiative, visit www.whitehouse.gov/ . For more information on grant awards visit the Department of Health and Human Services website at www.hhs.gov/ and the Department of Education website at www.ed.gov/.