Tagged: obesity

Kansas City, MO – Reverend Eric Williams of Calvary Temple Baptist Church in midtown has worked for a long time on health issues in the African American community. A few years ago, he says he was tired of seeing people suffering and dying from health problems related to obesity and lack of exercise. So his church formed a non-profit and eventually built a gym right next door. The Calvary Community Wellness Center opened in 2008.

A new federal program has awarded the Missouri Foundation for Health $2 million in matching funds to take on the high rates of obesity and tobacco use throughout the state.

The St. Louis based non-profit is one of 11 organizations nationwide to receive the grants, and it plans to distribute the money to several groups across the state to run obesity and tobacco use-prevention programs.

Kansas City, MO – First Lady Michelle Obama brought her campaign to combat childhood obesity to Kansas City today. She delivered the keynote address at the national NAACP convention, which is in town this week.

Michelle Obama said obesity is a national epidemic. One in every three children in the United States is overweight. And like other problems, she said it's hitting the African American community particularly hard.