Loudoun County Health Department, located in Leesburg, Virginia, is one of the local agencies participating in the Community Partnerships for Healthy Mothers and Children (CPHMC) project, through NWA’s cooperative agreement with the CDC.
Loudoun County was recently highlighted in a local newspaper, The Loudoun Tribune, for their accomplishments in reducing childhood obesity. In Loudoun County, the childhood obesity rate among low-income residents is almost double the national average. Part of their efforts to combat childhood obesity involved a partnership with a professor in George Mason University’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, Dr. Gallo. This partnership has broken down silos in the area, and has resulted in cohesive collaboration within the community.
Some of the interventions planned include, a program that aims to bring more fresh, local produce to families who need it most, a ‘Living Healthy in Loudoun’ resource guide, and increased access to breastfeeding services in the area. We applaud Loudoun County for their ingenious efforts and innovative strategies developed to combat childhood obesity in their community.