Rates of obesity in Louisville, Kentucky are rising according to a New York Times articles that states that 6 in 10 residents of the city are considered overweight. The city is taking responsibility to try and reduce this number.
- The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, founded in 2003 to combat obesity, started with adding the city’s first bike lane, advocated for parks in areas of low-income housing, and wider sidewalks for walking. The Foundation is using its own funds, as well as grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Smaller signs of awareness of obesity can be seen by efforts from corner stores to local churches.
- Jerry Abramson, the Mayor of Louisville at the time, also pointed to the issues of having an overweight population. Mr. Abramson said, “a healthy work force is more productive and less costly,” which also inspired him to start the Mayor’s Healthy Hometown Movement.
The movement in Louisville by multiple community groups has inspired other cities in the country to do the same. See the full article here.
