Moving Forward Together: Tejada Initiative Targets Childhood Obesity

Arlington County Board Chairman Walter Tejada this month kicked off his Moving Forward Together campaign in an effort make community members healthier — and targeting childhood obesity is at the top of the list.

The policy will guide Arlington County in building a coalition of volunteers and community members to work on a wide-range of areas — from getting children to eat better and exercise more to training childcare providers and establishing new community gardens.

"Unless we make it a part of our culture… The efforts so far have not paid off," Tejada told Patch. "We have to make some adjustments."

The coalition, known as the Healthy Community Action Team, will benefit in part from a $74,000 grant from the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth. Two Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation staff members will work on the initiative, Tejada said.

Tejada kicked off Moving Forward Together on Thursday in Fairlington with a community meeting to discuss multi-year projects aimed at reducing chronic disease among young people, according to a news release.

But the policy already is shaping the conversations about Arlington's future. Thursday night, for instance, Tejada and board member Chris Zimmerman talked about the importance of having athletic fields at a new elementary school in the Williamsburg neighborhood being open to the community. When asked if the county would pay for the extra improvements to make that happen, Tejada told Patch, "We'll have to see."

The county, too, is taking stock of what's in its vending machines in public facilities, he said.

"First, we have to get our own house in order," Tejada said. "We have to lead by example."

Tejada outlined the broader Moving Forward Together campaign on New Year's Day, the first day of his current chairmanship. Beyond healthy living, the campaign will focus on affordable housing, diversity and inclusion, and pedestrian and bike safety.

For more information about the Healthy Community Action Team or to get involve, contact Kara Grace with Parks and Recreation at 703-228-6401 or kgrace@arlingtonva.us.