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Kansas City Healthy Lifestyles Collaborative

Integrating efforts to increase the proportion of Kansas City children at a healthy weight

 

Kansas City Healthy Lifestyles Collaborative (KC HLC) is a program at Children's Mercy that seeks to align community programs to help prevent and reduce childhood obesity. It supports collaborative community-based approaches to increase the number of children at a healthy weight. 

 

Why it's time to Weigh In

 


Too many children are obese, putting them at risk for a lifetime of problems.

  • Children who are overweight or obese as preschoolers are five times as likely as normal-weight children to be overweight or obese as adults.

  • In older children and adolescents, obesity is associated with high cholesterol, high blood sugar, asthma, and mental health problems.

  • Obese children are more likely to suffer lifelong physical and mental health problems.

Healthy Lifestyles Initiative

Learn how you can participate in Weighing In by implementing the Healthy Lifestyles Initiative framework and sharing the 12345 Fit-Tastic! message

How we're taking action


Weighing In supports collaborative community-based approaches to increase the number of children at a healthy weight. One of our primary goals is reducing the obesity rates for children and adolescents throughout Kansas City by:

  • Providing educational opportunities on prevention and treatment approaches.

  • Using a systems approach and facilitate networking opportunities for the varied health care, school, public health, and community organizations with an interest in promoting healthy lifestyles. 

  • Supporting sector working groups focused on specific settings or issues, that include early childhood, schools, parks and recreations, sport, infrastructure, media and communications, public health, business and industry, healthcare and building comprehensive healthy lifestyle approaches.

  • Tracking our collective progress in the region to evaluate what is working.

Register to receive information about our upcoming quarterly meetings.

Learn more about KC HLC initiatives and engagement efforts.

Support active living, healthy eating and healthy weight for all. Using a message KC HLC developed for the Greater Kansas City area, integrate approaches to increase the proportion of Kansas Citians at a healthy weight.

The Kansas City Physical Activity Plan is a comprehensive set of Kansas City-focused, sector-specific strategies and priorities designed to increase physical activity in residents of all ages.

Contact us


For inquiries about Weighing In or to join a working group, contact:

Robin Shook
Director, KC HLC
Center for Children's Healthy Lifestyles and Nutrition
Email

Joy Delgandio
Division Manager, KC HLC
Center for Children's Healthy Lifestyles and Nutrition
Email

Katy Eighmy
Research Assistant, KC HLC
Center for Children's Healthy Lifestyles and Nutrition
Email

Natalie Updyke
Research Associate, KC HLC
Center for Children's Healthy Lifestyles and Nutrition
Email

Kelly Clay
Research Associate, KC HLC
Center for Children's Healthy Lifestyles and Nutrition
Email