Let's Change the Conversation

In America today, 23 million children and teenagers are obese or overweight, making childhood obesity one of America’s greatest public health crises. The American Council for Fitness and Nutrition has pioneered with our partners an innovative approach to combating childhood obesity, combining school-based interventions with lifestyle coaching, that when implemented can have a positive impact.

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About the ACFN Foundation
About Us

The American Council for Fitness & Nutrition Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development and implementation of innovative and sustainable programs that teach children and their families the concept of energy balance. ACFN Foundation builds alliances with professional societies, academic researchers and industry to combat this crisis. The Healthy Schools Partnership is the signature initiative of the ACFN Foundation, and will be expanding to new new locations across the Country this fall.

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The Healthy Schools Partnership

Here’s where we break down the silos between fitness and nutrition. The program teams a registered dietitian nutrition coach with a PE4life teacher, showing children the calories they eat and the calories they expend must be in balance. This program is changing behaviors today, and thousands of lives for the better.

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Behind the Headlines

Enough Is Enough
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Submitted by Alison and Sue
September 2, 2010

Last week the New York Times and other media outlets covered the growing controversy over serving chocolate milk in school: Some people believe that it’s too high in added sugar; others maintain it’s a good way to get kids to drink milk. Our thoughts? Enough is enough. Let’s let kids enjoy their chocolate milk while we turn our attention to fighting bigger battles.

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What Should the Dietary Guidelines Tell Us?
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Submitted by Alison and Sue
August 23, 2010

The recent Journal of the American Medical Association commentary, “Dietary Guidelines in the 21st Century—a Time for Food, “ was an enlightening read.  “A major shift,” the authors say, “is needed to novel, evidence-based strategies in which foods comprise the principal dietary targets.” This perspective is long overdue: The Dietary Guidelines should focus more on foods to consume on a daily basis rather than on attempting to establish restrictive nutrients levels that people have little interest in tracking.

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Our Contributors

Susan Finn and Alison Kretser are experts in the areas of obesity, fitness, nutrition, health policy, and together lead the American Council for Fitness and Nutrition. Our goal with Behind the Headlines is provide a timely analysis of the latest news and research, open a dialogue with you on the issues that matter, and provide a resource you can’t get anywhere else.

Susan Finn
Alison J. Kretser

The Healthy Schools Partnership is a new model for addressing the obesity epidemic in America, with a focus on physical education and nutrition in schools.

We pair a registered dietitian with a PE4Life physical education instructor to teach kids the importance of "energy balance."

Children participating in HSP receive individualized attention and assessment within the "wellness culture" HSP aims to create in each school.

Pilot programs for HSP began in Kansas City in 2007. As a part of the Healthy Weight Commitment, our program will expand to additional schools in Kansas City, as well as in four other communities in 2009.