Step ONE Eat Smart

Funded Agency:
Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department.

Funding from the Junior League:
$50,000 each year for 3 years

Program Summary:

The Junior League of Chattanooga’s partnership with the Chattanooga- Hamilton County Health Department on the JLC/Step ONE Eat Smart initiative addresses obesity among children from K-5th grades with a three-fold focus on schools, dining establishments and homes. The Junior League, through Eat Smart, will focus on choices made in schools by expanding throughout the county a pilot nutrition education program started in 2006, which promotes the consumption of fruits and vegetables to students. Through Eat Smart, the Junior League will also focus on restaurant menu options by creating demand for healthier menu selections and by providing real benefits to restaurants that share concern for the health of the community.

The Junior League will also partner with Eat Smart in implementing "Kids in the Kitchen," a national program of the Association of Junior League's International.  The program's goal is to empower youth to make healthy lifestyle choices and help reverse the growth of childhood obesity and its associated health issues.

The Step ONE (Optimize with Nutrition and Exercise) Initiative is a countywide effort to address the problem of obesity in our community by promoting physical fitness, good eating practices, and healthy lifestyles among the children and adults of Hamilton County. This initiative represents a partnership between the Mayor of Hamilton County, the Hamilton County Regional Health Council, and the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department. The mission of the initiative is to create a culture in Hamilton County where residents choose to practice good nutrition and exercise regularly.