Meets with Area Leaders to Discuss ‘Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future’ Program
Acting U.S. Surgeon General Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson today presented UMass Boston Chancellor J. Keith Motley with a Champion Award for GoKids Boston’s work in helping to prevent childhood obesity. Dr. Galson toured GoKids Boston and conducted a roundtable discussion with area health officials as part of his national “Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future” program.
GoKids Boston is a state-of-the-art research, educational training, and community outreach center for youth fitness on the UMass Boston campus. Its research and promotional activities focus on physical fitness, healthy eating, conditioning, and self-esteem in children and youths across diverse racial and ethnic underserved populations. The center also specializes in active rehabilitation for children and youths experiencing or recovering from medical conditions; evaluation and programming for elite young athletes seeking to enhance sports performance while minimizing risk of injuries; and training of undergraduate and graduate students in a variety of fitness, exercise science, nursing, and health-related disciplines.
“We at UMass Boston are thrilled that GoKids Boston has received such prominent recognition,” said Chancellor Motley. “GoKids is more than a research and training center that helps fight obesity, asthma, and diabetes. It is an informed and loving enterprise with an affirming charge to all the future adults it serves. This is a center that says, ‘Go, Kids!’”
The surgeon general’s “Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future” initiative focuses on recognizing and showcasing communities throughout the nation that are addressing childhood obesity issues and encouraging prevention by helping kids stay active, encouraging healthy eating habits, and promoting healthy choices. Today, 12.5 million children are overweight in the United States—more than 17 percent. Overweight children are at greater risk for many serious health problems.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to visit communities across the country and meet first-hand with those actively engaged in finding ways to prevent childhood obesity,” said Dr. Galson. “UMass Boston’s commitment to addressing this issue is clear, and I commend Chancellor Motley and his faculty and staff for their work.”
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Established in 1964, UMass Boston prides itself on providing challenging teaching, distinguished research, and extensive public service to Boston and the Commonwealth. Through its six colleges—Liberal Arts, Science and Mathematics, Management, Nursing and Health Sciences, Public and Community Service, and Graduate College of Education—the McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies, and the Division of Corporate, Continuing, and Distance Education, UMass Boston offers undergraduate and graduate study to 13,400 students in more than 150 fields. For more information, please visit www.umb.edu.