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News Release

Healthy Choices for Healthy Children Legislation
Passes Ohio General Assembly

June 3, 2010
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COLUMBUS, Ohio ― A bi-partisan effort to decrease and prevent childhood obesity passed the Ohio General Assembly with the support of the Healthy Choices for Healthy Children coalition — with organizations represented from business, health care, education, child advocacy, fitness and nutrition. The coalition is led by Nationwide Children’s Hospital CEO Steve Allen, M.D., and Cleveland Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove, M.D., as co-chairs of the Ohio Business Roundtable Childhood Obesity Task Force.

The Healthy Choices for Healthy Children (SB 210) legislation was co-sponsored by Senator Kevin Coughlin (R-Cuyahoga Falls) and Senator Eric H. Kearney (D-Cincinnati) in the Ohio Senate. Representatives John Patrick Carney (D-Columbus) and Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon) co-sponsored the bill in the Ohio House.

“The ABC’s of ending childhood obesity are accountability, bipartisanship, and comprehensive solutions,” said Dr. Allen, who serves as Vice Chair of the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association. "Accountability means holding everyone that interacts with our children accountable to higher standards, from parents to schools to businesses. Bipartisanship means lawmakers from across the political spectrum taking responsibility for our children’s health. And, comprehensive solutions mean making change at all the places our children interact with food and exercise. This legislation accomplishes all three, in a way that will help our children avoid becoming the first generation in Ohio history to live shorter lives than their parents.”

“Seventy percent of the cost in health care is related to chronic disease, and we know obesity is a major cause of chronic disease in our state,” said Dr. Cosgrove. “I applaud this effort to reduce the disease burden by helping children learn to lead healthy, active lifestyles early. It will not only improve their future quality of life but it will also help us take billions of dollars in unnecessary costs out of Ohio’s health care system.”

The bill will improve the nutritional value of foods offered during the regular and extended school day and raise the bar for physical education. The bill also provides for Body Mass Index (BMI) screenings upon school entry and in the 3rd, 5th and 9th grades and a pilot program for daily physical activity during the school day.

On May 18, the Ohio Senate passed the amended version of the bill, which included opt-out waivers for a requirement of 30 minutes of physical activity and BMI screenings for school districts demonstrating financial hardship. The Ohio House of Representatives passed an amended version of the Senate bill, creating a pilot program for districts to provide 30 minutes of daily physical activity in grades K-12. This amendment allows districts to opt in to a physical activity pilot program administered by the Ohio Department of Education. Districts participating in the pilot will be recognized on their district report card. The Senate concurred with the amended version of the bill today. The legislation now heads to Governor Strickland for consideration.

“This is a first step in Ohio law to combat the overwhelming epidemic of childhood obesity,” said Richard Stoff, President, Ohio Business Roundtable. “The Healthy Choices for Healthy Children bill will help make Ohio’s children healthier — and today’s children are the workforce of tomorrow. Our work has only begun, but at least we are now on the right path to addressing the most profound public health problem facing our state.”

CONTACT: Angela Krile, 740-974-3948

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Last Updated on Thursday, 23 September 2010 15:27