Only 1 in 4 New Yorkers engages in physical activity for 30 minutes per day, four days per week.
Increasing and Improving Physical Activity for Children
Lack of physical activity is a significant contributor to the childhood obesity epidemic. Childhood obesity is at an all-time high - 43% of NYC elementary schoolchildren in grades K-5 and 42% of children in NYC Head Start are either obese or overweight. In both the preschool and elementary populations, Hispanic and African-American children are most affected by obesity.
In response to these staggering statistics, the NYC Health Department, in collaboration with the NYC Department of Education, developed a physical activity and nutrition program called Move-To-Improve for early childhood and kindergarten to third grade teachers to implement in the classroom. Designed specifically for small spaces, this program incorporates academic themes with activity goals to make movement a seamless, natural and fun part of everyday school life.
Today, 47% of elementary schools, 94% of the city's public school pre-kindergarten programs and 80% of the city's day care providers have been trained in the Move-To-Improve curriculum, with training activities targeting the neighborhoods with the highest rates of obesity and diabetes. Grant funding through the Fund for Public Health in New York, including a portion of funds from the CDC Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative, has supported the growth of this program by allowing the NYC Health Department's Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention and Control to coordinate ongoing implementation support for Move-To-Improve trained staff and facilitate program improvements.
To learn more about Move-To-Improve, please contact Rhonda Johnson, Training Director of Physical Activity and Nutrition Programs at rjohnso7@health.nyc.gov.