By Crystal Swann
January 31, 2011

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack briefed the Conference of Mayors Standing Committee on Children, Health and Human Services January 19 at the 78th Winter Meeting in Washington (DC). The committee, chaired by Green Bay Mayor James Schmitt, also heard from other speakers including Robin Schepper, Executive Director, First Lady's "Let's Move!" initiative and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) Administrator Pamela Hyde.

Vilsack highlighted updates to an online mapping tool that compares U.S. counties in terms of their "food environment" — the set of factors that help determine and reflect a community's access to affordable, healthy food.

The "U.S. Food Environment Atlas," developed by USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS), was introduced last year as part of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative to solve the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation. Vilsack discussed the tool today as he spoke to the mayors and laid out steps that they could take to improve health and nutrition in their communities.

"This Food Atlas is an important tool to help guide policy makers and researchers in addressing the links between diet, food access, and public health, and the new upgrades shed additional light on food environments across the United States and provides an even broader overview of a community's ability to access healthy foods," said Vilsack.

Vilsack also reemphasized the importance of the new child nutrition legislation signed into law by President Obama. The law for the first time establishes nutrition standards for school lunches. As pointed out by Vilsack, if childhood obesity isn't addressed the costs to our healthcare system, our competitive standing in the world and our military readiness are all in jeopardy. If obesity isn't addressed "…by 2018, we will see healthcare costs increase by $344 billion, a 20 percent increase in health care cost, in addition youngsters who are obese often time have difficulties in school and in this competitive global environment of our world they need to be top performers. Additionally a number of retired generals and admirals believe this is a national security issue…of youngsters between the ages of 17-24 only 25 percent are fit for military service," he stated.

Vilsack also spoke on the need for mayors to do more to promote farmers markets; encourage the use of SNAP EBT cards at farmers markets; the creation of community gardens; and the elimination of "food deserts" (neighborhoods in cities without access to full service grocery stores). The First Lady has made eliminating food deserts in seven years a pillar priority in her Let's Move! Initiative.

Echoing the Secretary's remarks, Schepper reinforced the First Lady's commitment to working with the mayors to promote "Let's Move" in cities and towns across the nation. To date, nearly 450 cities and towns have signed onto the First Lady's "Let's Move!" local component, "Let's Move Cities and Towns." On the "Let's Move!" website (letsmove.gov), mayors can learn about new tools; highlight their cities efforts with local blog posts; and connect with Let's Move! Staff. Schepper revealed that a new tool kit for cities and towns would be available on the website shortly with steps to creating healthy communities as well as links to resources available to support local healthy community initiatives.

Hyde spoke on the resources and services available through SAMSHA. She told the mayors that SAMSHA has eight strategic initiatives that are the focus of the agency. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on communities. The strategic initiatives are prevention of substance abuse and mental illness; trauma and justice; military families; health care reform implementation; housing and homelessness; health information technology; data, outcomes and quality; and public awareness and support. To learn more about SAMHSA priorities go to the website www.samhsa.gov.

The state of America's mental health system was fresh on the minds of mayors who earlier that day, in the wake of the tragic shooting in Tucson (AZ), had just signed The Mayors Civility Accord, a pledge to restore civility in their communities and committed to a series principles of civility. The language of the accord can be found online at www.usmayors.org.