Mayoral Forum on Healthy Eating and Active Living

Contact:
Karen Siebert

KANSAS CITY, MO. - Six candidates for mayor of Kansas City will participate in a forum on Tuesday, Feb. 15 addressing healthy eating and active living issues in the city.

The forum is 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center, 3700 Blue Parkway in Kansas City. Doors open at 5 p.m. Participating mayoral candidates are Mike Burke, Mark Funkhouser, Deb Hermann, Sly James, Henry Klein and Jim Rowland. Moderators are Beth Low, director of the Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition, and Samara Klein, advocacy director for KC Healthy Kids.

"Public policy has a significant impact on the food we eat and the design of the communities we live in, and that affects the health of our residents and the economic vitality of our community," said Gretchen Kunkel, president of KC Healthy Kids, which is sponsoring the forum along with the Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition.

According to Kunkel, the forum will address active living issues such as the accessibility of recreational spaces for public use, the availability and condition of sidewalks and trails, parks, and public safety.

"While there are multiple reasons for the epidemic of obesity, one cause is certainly the lack of physical activity," Kunkel said. "Our communities need to be designed or redesigned to encourage more active lifestyles, whether that's more sidewalks and hiking and biking trails or more mixed-use developments that allow people to live, work and shop all in one neighborhood."

Food system issues will also be addressed at the forum. According to Low, the quality of the local food system affects not only health, but quality of life and economic development.

"First and foremost, an effective food system must provide healthy food for everyone, and everyone must have access to it," said Low. "And we know that if good food is not easily available in a community, it affects a community's vibrancy and economic health as well."
According to Low, public policy priorities and positions on issues such as public transportation, zoning ordinances for urban agriculture, and tax incentives for business development can affect the availability of healthy food in a community.

"We look forward to hearing from the mayoral candidates about the opportunities they see to develop a stronger local food system in Kansas City," Low said.


About the Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition
The Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition is a group of individuals, organizations, businesses and government representatives committed to ensuring that there is a healthy, sustainable, and accessible food system for Greater Kansas City. The coalition promotes food policies that positively impact the nutritional, economic, social and environmental health of Greater Kansas City. More information is available at www.kcfoodpolicy.org.

About KC Healthy Kids
KC Healthy Kids is a nonprofit organization developing and advancing community solutions to reduce childhood obesity. KC Healthy Kids informs, advocates, and mobilizes the resources and talents of our community to improve healthy eating and active living. Working in both Kansas and Missouri, KC Healthy Kids has launched multiple initiatives designed to increase healthy eating and active living opportunities for children and their families.